ISSN: 1570-0178

Volume 4, Issue 4 (28 november 2001)

Vocabulaire de ville de Elisabethville: A history of

Elisabethville from its beginnings to 1965
Compiled and written by André Yav
Edited, translated, and commented by Johannes Fabian with
assistance from Kalundi Mango

The red tekst on pages 30 and 78 concerns Simon Kimbangu and the murder of Bwana François
 Shaba Swahili version and English translation

The chapter headings and the bold page numbers between square brackets are those of the original. In the text, you will find
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I. KIPANDE CHA KWANZA KWA MAWAZO YA MUFALME I. [1] FIRST CHAPTER. ABOUT THOUGHTS OF KING
LEOPOLD II MWAKA WA 1885 NA KUFIKA MWAKA WA LEOPOLD II IN THE YEAR 1885 UNTIL THE YEAR 1906.
1906.

1. Habari ya wazungu: kwa kutufikia mu inchi ya
Afrika: na mu Congo: mu Congo yetu: na pia
bakatufikia na sisi watoto wa Katanga ya
mashariki/ ni mwaka gani? ni mwaka wa elefu
moja: na mia: munane/ na makumi munane na tano:
dixhuit cent quatre vingt cinq/ na tano/ munamo
tarehe makumi mbili na sita/ le vingt six
februari: février/ Mufalme Léopold II
ilipatikana kuwa Mufalme wa serkali/ iliitwa
Etat ya Uhuru: Etat Indépendant: ya njamuhuri ya
Congo/ ikawe wakati kubwa katika maisha ya
Mufalme: kwa sababu ameweza kutenda mawazo yake:
na kuleta maendeleo na raha ndani ya Afrika
1. Concerning the news of the Whites arriving in
the country of Africa, in the Congo, in our
Congo, and especially when they arrived among
us, children of East3 Katanga. Which year was it?
It was in the year one thousand eight hundred
and eighty five4 (1885), on the 26th of February.
Thus it happened that Leopold II became the King
to govern [a state] called "state of
independence" (Etat Indépendant) on the
territory of the Congo. This was to be an
important time in the life of the King because
he was able to realize his ideas and to bring
progress and well-being to all of Africa. It was
nzima/ ikawe kazi nguvu sana na hata moja to be very difficult work and there was not a
hakuongopa hata kitu moja tu kwake/ thing he was afraid of.
2. mateso hayo makubwa yenye kuwafikia 2. Much suffering5 among the Congolese and the
wakongomani kutaka na uhodari tu: haikutosha/ determination to be strong, however, were not
imefaa vile vile vyombo vingi: kwa kufanya njia: enough; it also took much equipment to construct
kutia njanja: kujenga mahospitalini: kujenga roads, lay the rails, build hospitals, build
masomo: na kuhukumu inchi/ kwani inchi ilimupita houses, and to govern the country, because the
bukuwa/ mu macho yake: yeye bwana Mufalme country was big beyond imagination. With his
Léopold II: na pia mu mampu yake ameonaka inchi eye, and especially on his maps, King Leopold II
ni mukubwa zaidi/ géographie/ na akawaza ya kama would see how big the country was (Géographie6).
ilifaa kununua vyombo/ Mufalme pasipo kuweza And he realized that he had to buy equipment.
pia: alitowa karibu mali yake yote/ namna hii The King, because he had no other way, put
watumishi wa kwanza waliotumwa: na Mufalme: na almost all his wealth [into this enterprise]. So
kwanza kupata inchi yetu ya njamuhuri ya Congo/ the first agents were sent out by the King to
begin to take possession of our country, the
territory of the Congo.
3. kwa kwanza: kuangaria madini: na udongo gani: 3. First, it was looking for ores, what the ore-
wa madini mu Congo/ wale watumishi waliweza bearing soils were in the Congo. These agents
kuangaria madini: na udongo gani wa madini mu knew how to look for ores and [knew] what the
Congo/ wale watumishi waliweza kupata mavazi: na ore-bearing soils were in the Congo. These
kwa kuleta amani mu inchi ya Afrika/ na pia mu agents knew how to find clothes [?to distribute]
Kongo: na pahali popote pa inchi mwa njamuhuri and to bring peace to the country of Africa,
ya Congo/ walipataka mavazi na vyombo vya kazi especially in the Congo, everywhere in the
mukongo/ na posho yao/ lakini franga ya Mufalme country and the territories of the Congo. [The
haikuwa yenye kutosha/ haikutosha/ na ilifaa workers] received clothes and, afterwards, tools
kutafuta franga ingine/ to work with, and their rations. But the King's
money was not enough; it was not enough and it
was necessary to find other money.
4. hivi Mfalume akapashwa kuomba musaada kwa 4. Thus the King was obliged to ask for help
wabeleji/ wema walimusadia kwa kuingia ku inchi among the Belgians. They helped him generously
mwa Katanga/ kwa sababu ametuma waaskari wake to enter the country of Katanga. Because he had
wote: kwa kufukuza kabisa Waarabu ndani ya sent all his soldiers to chase the Arabs once
inchi/ amefanya sociétés mbili: ama: mashirika and forever from the country. He founded two
mbili/ ya kwanza inaitwa: Compagnie du Congo: "Sociétés" or two companies. The first one was
nia yake ni: biashara: na kazi/ ya pili inaitwa: called "Compagnie du Congo." Its purposes were
Compagnie du Katanga/ wakatengeneza: zote mbili commerce and labor. The second one was called
pamoja na serkali/ zikatumwa wazungu wengi sana "Compagnie du Katanga." Both were organized
muno ku Katanga/ wakatengeneza inchi ya polini: together with the Government.7 Very many Whites
ya njaa: na ya magonjwa: makali/ munajua majina were sent to Katanga and they cleared the
ya wakubwa wa wale wazungu walikuja mu Katanga? country of wild forests, of hunger and atrocious
ni haba: wa kwanza: bwana Commandant Paul Le diseases. Do you know the names of the leaders
Marinel/ na wa pili: Alexandre Delcommune/ wa of those Whites who came to Katanga? Here they
tatu: Capitaine Stairs/ wa inne: Lieutenant are. The first one was
Bodson/ wa tano: Capitaine Bia/ wa sita: l. Commandant Paul Le Marinel; then 2. Alexandre
Lieutenant Francqui/ haba ni wazungu wenye Delcommune, 3. Captain Stairs, 4. Lieutenant
kutangulia kufika hapa pa inchi ya Katanga: kwa Bodson, 5. Captain Bia, and 6. Lieutenant
kuangaria: mushinji wa inchi yetu ya Katanga: na Francqui.8 Those are the Whites who were the
Congo/ first to arrive here in the country of Katanga,9
to determine the foundations of our country,
Katanga, and of the Congo.
5. sasa: tutakumbusha tena mambo ya bwana Union 5. Now let us remember the matter of Bwana10
Minière du Haut Katanga/ alitia majina yao ku Union Minière du Haut Katanga. He gave their
Centrales zake[2]/ alijenga kandokando ya [the pioneers', see above] names to his [hydro-
komponi moja ya wachimbaji mu mukini yaitwa jito electric] power stations.[2] He [i.e. the Union
Lufira/ na Lualaba/ tunaweza kusema kama: Minière] built a workers' compound11 for the
walitumika na nguvu sana kazi yao: na miners on the land belonging to a village which
walijitolea kwa umoja wao wote/ was called after the river Lufira, and Lualaba.
We can say that they worked very hard and that
they all were united in devoting themselves [to
their task].
6. wazungu mingi wengine wenye elimu 6. Many other Whites who were experts joined the
walisindikiza wale wazungu tuliotaja/ kati yao Whites we named earlier. Among them was Bwana
kulikuwa bwana Jules Cornet: fundi wa udongo: Jules Cornet, a geologist.12 He devoted himself
anajitolea kwa kufunda udongo wa Katanga: to studying the soil of Katanga, the big copper
mingoti ya mukubwa ya kutosha mikuba/ vile mines which produced the ingots. And so the
watumishi wa Mufalme walieleza mu bulaya/ miezi agents of the King reported back to Europe.
na miezi: bwana Cornet alienda popote mu Month after month, Bwana Cornet traveled
Katanga: na kujia pahali penye: Union Minière everywhere in Katanga to get to the places where
anafanya kazi yake sasa/ uvumbuo wa kweli: the "Union Minière" does its work now. Truly, it
utageuza Katanga kuwa inchi muzuri sana ya mali was a discovery which was to change Katanga into
na raha kwa watu wote tu/ a beautiful country, rich and peaceful for all
people.
7. miaka inapita/ mingi waliona kazi ya wabeleji 7. The years went by, many saw how the Belgians
iliendelea mu Congo: chini ya hukumu wa Mufalme and their work progressed in the Congo, the
wao/ hivi wanatumika pasipo kuacha: kwa kuweka country governed by their King. Thus they worked
raha: mu inchi/ wengi walifiamo tu/ na hivi ceaselessly to establish well-being in the
tunaona makaburi na wenye wazungu wa kwanza country. Many gave their lives for it. Thus we
walilala/ lakini kidogo kwa kidogo: serkali see the graves where the first Whites rest.13
anajitayarisha: na karibu popote imani na But, little by little, the Government organized
masikilizano inaendelea/ itself. And almost everywhere peace and mutual
understanding progressed.
8. mu mille neuf cent serkali alitia: Comité 8. In 1900 the Government set up the "Comité"
Spécial du Katanga: na alimwambia atengeneze (Comité Spécial du Katanga)14 and instructed it
kazi ya wachimbaji wa tuyope: kwa kutimiliza to organize the work of the prospectors15 so as
kitendo cha bwana Cornet/ ku Kasai: ku Kasai to complete the deeds of Bwana Cornet. In the
vile vile: wazungu wachimbaji wa tuyope wamepita Kasai also, the white prospectors went
popote kwa kutafuta udongo wa mali/ lakini everywhere in search of ore-bearing soils but
hawakupata/ they found nothing.
9. wakati ule: Mufalme akatazama ndani ya 9. At that time, the King watched this in his
nyumbani mwake: Bruxelles: amejifunza habari home "Bruxelles" and studied the news that came
imetoka ku Afrika/ mu ile habari: wamakabila from Africa. Many groups informed him that food
wengi walimuonyesha ya kama: vyakula na vyombo and equipment did not arrive fast enough from
vya kazi havikufika wepesi kwa kutoka ulaya/ na Europe. And the King studied with his eyes his
Mufalme akatazama macho yake: mu yile mapu yake map of the country. He told himself: Where can I
ya inchi: alisema nitapata wapi njia? ya mimi find a road to transport equipment, one that is
kupitisha vyombo vya kazi/ ile ya bufupi? ya short, so that I could construct a railroad
kuwekea njanja wepesi ya mimi kutuma vitu wepesi quickly to expedite shipment of material to
mu Afrika: na mashua yenye kufikisha vitu kwa Africa, and [get] a train that will get material
wepesi? kwa hivi: hakuna lazima ya wapagazi/ there quickly? That way one would not have to
porteurs/ use porters.
10. Mufalme akafikiri: na akasema hivi/ njanja 10. The King thought about this and spoke thus:
ya mbele ilikuwa ya Bulawayo/ njo njanja ilifika The first railroad that existed, the one at
na karibu ya mingoti ya Katanga/ lakini ilikuwa Bulawayo, that is the one that came close to the
njia murefu/ tena Mufalme alitaka kupitishia mines of Katanga. But there was [still] a long
vitu ku njia ya Lobito/ njia hiyi ilikuwa yenye distance. Furthermore, the King considered
kuonekana njia karibu zaidi/ vile vile having material pass via Lobito. This appeared
haikumupendeza kwa sababu alipenda kupata njia to be the shortest route. At the same time he
mu udongo yenye kuitwa kwa kama njia ya njanja/ was not satisfied with it because he wanted a
kwa kutengeneza ile yote: Mufalme alihukumu road, the one that is called railroad, on [his
kufanya mu le onze mars mille neuf cent et deux own] territory.16 In order to organize all this
Compagnie du chemin de fer du Katanga/ kufanya the King gave orders, on March 11, 1902, to set
kazi ya kwanza ya Compagnie itakuwa ya kuunga up the "Compagnie du chemin de fer du Katanga."
mupaka wa kusini ku Katanga na jito Congo: ku The first task of the "Compagnie" was to
Bukama/ njia hii inapita katika udongo wa Union establish a link between Katanga and the Congo
Minière du Haut Katanga/ river, at Bukama. This route passed through the
concession of the "Union Minière du Haut
Katanga."
11. Compagnie Tanganyika Concession Limited 11. The "Compagnie Tanganyika Concessions Ltd"
alituma wachimbanji wa tuyope kutumika pamoja na sent prospectors to work together with[3] [Pp.
[3] [Pp. 3-4 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 3-4 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 190 KB]
190 KB] [Pp. 3-4 of the original in facsimile, [Pp. 3-4 of the original in facsimile, JPEG -
JPEG - 288 KB] wachimbaji wa Comité Spécial du 288 KB] those of the "Comité Spécial du
Katanga/ ni kwa sababu hii mu mille neuf cent et Katanga." This is why, in 1903, Bwana Robath
trois: bwana Robath Williams: Robert William: Wiliams (Robert Wiliams), director of Tanganyika
bwana mukubwa wa Tanganyika Concession Concessions, organized the "Compagnie de Bengela
alitengeneza Compagnie du Benguela Railway: kwa (Bengela) Railway17" with the purpose of linking
kutaka kuunga njanja hiyi tokea ku mupaka wa the railway that came from southern Katanga with
kusini wa Katanga mupaka Lobito mu Angola/ that from Lobito in Angola. This was in 1906.18
wakati ule ni mille neuf cent et six/ njanja
ilitoka Bulawayo mpaka mu Broken-Hill mu
Rhodésie ya kaskazini/ njanja hiyi tatu
zilikutana ku Katanga/ hivi ikawezekana:
kufungula mingoti iliyotayarishwa na wachimbaji
wa tuyope/ lakini: mu mwaka ule: hali ya Congo
ilikuwa vizuri: na utulivu wa kweli muno
ulitawala ndani ya inchi/
12. wakati ulifika wa kufanya masociétés:
mashirika: kwa kufanya hesabu ya mingoti ya
pori: ya mashamba ya Congo: na kwa kuweza kupata
mali/ na ni kwa ile kipande cha mali serkali
angaliweza kuendelea kusilimusha inchi yake/ kwa
mambo hii: Mufalme katika wakubwa washauri:
aliita washauri wawili/ wa kwanza bwana huyu
mukubwa wa kwanza/ Hubert Droogmans: Président
wa Comité Spécial du Katanga/ na wa pili/ Jean
Jadot: bwana mukubwa wa mwenye kanuni: Directeur
Général wa shirika kubwa wa ulaya/
13. ni vizuri kuwaelezea neno moja juu ya
shirika kubwa yenye kufaa: kwa maendeleo ya
Congo/ shirika kubwa ikaanza tangu mwaka wa
mwaka mille huit cent trente quatre/ kwa
kupendelea mambo ya kazi: shirika kubwa
ilisimamia na mushauri wake/ liwali moja: na
wawili wawo wenye kufwata liwali: na wabwana
wakubwa tisa: neuf: waliitwa kwa hii kazi: kwa
sababu: wamefundishwa elimu kwa kuwatawala watu
wa kazi/
14. njo sisi kwa ile wakati: wazungu walifika
inchi mwa Afrika/ wale kati yetu waliyosafiri
The railway came from Bulawayo and from Broken
Hill in North Rhodesia. These three railroads
met in Katanga. Thus it was possible to open up
the mines that had been prepared by the
prospectors. In that year, the situation was
good in the Congo; truly, calm reigned in the
country.19
12. Time had come to found "Sociétés"
(Compagnies) to exploit the mines in the bush,
and the fields of the Congo to obtain mineral
wealth.20 It was by this mineral wealth that the
government could go on to bring progress to its
country. Concerning that matter the King called
two among his chief councilors. The first of
these important men was 1. Hubert Droogmans,
"Présideti" (Président) of the "Comité Spécial
du Katanga" and 2. Jean Jadot, an important man
with the title Directeur Général of the "big
society" in Europe.21
13. It will be good to say a word about this
"big society" which was needed for the progress
of the Congo. The "big society" originated in
the year 1[8]34. [It was] to solve the problems
of labor. The "big society" was represented by
its councilor, one "governor" and two that
followed him [?vice governors]; the "governor"
and nine (9) directors were called to this task
because they had been trained to oversee
workers.22
14. This was the time when we [saw] Whites
arriving here in Africa. Those among us who had
ulaya miaka iliyopita: waliona vile kama
maendeleo inatawala kule/ shirika mukubwa yetu:
sasa pale njo wakazidi: na kusaidiana/ na pia na
masikilizano yao ya kweli/ lakini kitendo chake:
si mupaka mu ulaya kwa wabeleji hapana/
alisaidia kazi zote mu ulaya/ na pia mu Afrika
na mu Azia/ wote walikingiwa naye/ mupaka na
société kubwa ya ilijikaza: kwa kufanya kazi
nyingi: kwa kuweza kwa kupanua Congo kuwa tajiri
na kupatisha watu wake raha na heri/ wabwana
wakubwa wa shirika kubwa: waliangaria maendeleo
ya watu wa Congo: na wakazidisha ufundi wao ku
mashirika/
15. tulitaja yale lwa mbele yile jina ya Jean
Jadot/ moja wa washauri wa Mufalme Léopold II/
alikuwa ingénieur mukubwa: na kati yenu kuna
watu wengi wa zamani wanamujua yule bwana Jean
Jadot/ wakati wa safari yake mwa Afrika: mwaka
wa mille neuf cent vingt huit/ mwaka ule ule:
Mufalme Albert wa kwanza: na mama Markia Reine
Elisabeth: walipofika mu Congo: pia na humu
Katanga: Jean Jadot alijulikana kwiko watu wote
tu mu Congo/ tena alitia njanja ya kilometri
mille deux cent et quinze: na alimaliza kujenga
mbele ya miezi kumi/ na kilalo: ya vyuma: juu ya
jito ya kimanjano/
16. angarieni katika mawa[4]zo yenu/ Mufalme
mukubwa anatia mukono ku ndevu yake nyeupe/
akisema: akiangaria carte ya Afrika na akawambia
washauri wake/ Mufalme anauliza: habari gani juu
ya maendeleo ya mingoti ya Kasai: na ya Katanga?
Bwana Robert Droogmans alijibu kwa Mufalme: ya
travelled to Europe in years past saw that there
reigned progress. Our "big society" now was the
one to promote mutual help. And there was truly
mutual understanding among them. Its activities
were not limited to Europe or the Belgians. It
supported all sorts of work in Europe, in
Africa, and in Asia. All were protected by it.
It was the "big society" which worked hard at
many tasks, to make the Congo bigger, and rich,
and to bring its people well-being and luck. The
directors of the "big society" watched over the
progress of the people of the Congo and put
their expertise to the service of the "Society."
15. We have mentioned above the name of Jean
Jadot, one of the councilors of King Léopold II.
He was a great engineer, and among you there are
many oldtimers who know this Bwana Jean Jadot.
The year of his voyage to Africa was 1928. In
that year, King Albert the First, and Mama Queen
(Reine) Elisabeth arrived in the Congo and also
here in Katanga. Jean Jadot was known among all
the people in the Congo. He also constructed a
railroad [up to] kilometer 1225 and finished it
in less than 10 months, together with an iron
bridge over the Yellow River.23
16. Behold in your thoughts:[4] The great King
put his hand to his white beard and talked [to
himself] looking at the map of Africa and spoke
to his councilors. The King asked: What is the
news of progress in the mines of Kasai and
Katanga? Bwana Robert Droogmans answered the
kwamba Mufalme hatuyavumbua bado na sasa mafasi
ya mingoti ku Kasai/ lakini ku Katanga
wachimbaji wa tuyope: wa Comité Spécial du
Katanga: wamepata mafasi kubwa ya yenye kuwa
udongo wa mali/ unatayarishwa/ lakini kazi
itaanza tu mupaka kiisha kupitisha njanja: kwa
sababu mashua italeta vyombo vyote na vyakula/
Mufalme naye aliuliza ya kwamba: tena munawaza
nje kwa kupeleka ile yote? Bwana Jean Jadot naye
ku upande wake alijibu kwa Mufalme ya kama:
inafaa kutia njanja tangu mupaka wa Rhodésie:
kufika ku mingoti ya Katanga/ ile njanja itakuwa
tu maendeleo ya kweli ya njanja ya zamani ya
Rhodésie/ na vile walifanya nguvu yabo yote: njo
njanja kufika hapa na Elisabethville: hama
Lubumbashi/ mara ya kwanza mu mwaka wa elfu moja
na mia tisa: kenda: na kumi moja tu: mille neuf
cent dix/ njo na vile kiisha mashauri mengi:
ikamuriwa/
17. kweli kwa kupatana wao wenyewe na
masikilizano ya kamilifu: kwa kupanga kazi na
kazi: ya kwanza: kutia Union Minière du Haut
Katanga: mu le vingt huit Octobre mille neuf
cent et six/ ya mpili: kutia Compagnie du Chemin
de Fer du Bas-Congo au Katanga/ wa kwanza ni:
S.F.K.: B.T.K.: B.C.K.: njo wa mwisho na bulileo
mwaka wa mille neuf cent et six: trente et un
Octobre/ ya tatu: kutia Société Internationale
Forestière na Minière du Congo na Forminière mu
le six Novembre mille neuf cent et six/ njo
mwaka ilianzaka hiyi mashirika makubwa/
King: Up to now we have not found any sites for
mines in the Kasai. But in Katanga the
prospectors of the "Comité Spécial du Katanga"
have found big ore beds [which] have been made
ready. But work will begin only once the railway
is made to pass through this region. Because the
trains will bring all the material and the food.
The King asked: How do you think you will carry
all this? Bwana Jean Jadot, on his side,
answered the King, saying that it was necessary
to construct a railroad from Rhodesia to the
mines of Katanga. This would be really a
continuation of the existing railroad in
Rhodesia. Thus they put all their force to the
task and the railroad arrived here in
Elisabethville (or Lubumbashi) for the first
time in the year one thousand nine hundred and
ten24 (1910). Yes, and thus, after taking much
counsel, the decision was made.
17. Truly, they got together with complete
mutual understanding to set up the different
projects: 1. To found the "Union Minière du Haut
Katanga" on October 28, 1906; 2. to found the
"Compagnie du Chemin de fer du Bas-Congo au
Katanga" which was first SFK, BTK25 and, in the
end, BCK, until this day; this was in the year
1906, October 31; 3. To found the "Société
Internationale Forestière na26 Minière du Congo"
on November 6, 1906. This was the year the "big
societies" originated.
18. hiyo shirika ya kwanza: itaanza kutumika
pahali ya madini ilijulikana mu Katanga: na
kutoshamo mukuba: na ndenga: na mali meusi/ na
udongo wa mali unatumikwa mu chapu/ shirika ya
pili: itajenga njanja ingine: ya kwenda ku Bas-
Congo: na ku Angola/ shirika ya tatu: ilipima
tena udongo wote wa Congo: na vile vile wa
Kasai: kwani ule udongo na pori haikupimwa/ kwa
kutayarisha franga ya kufanya ile mashirika: na
mashirika yote tatu: Mufalme ameomba musaada kwa
shirika kubwa: na vile vile kwa wazungu: na kwa
mashirika zingine zengi kwa kutimiza kazi yake
yeye mwenyewe/
19. na ni kweli: ile mashirika makubwa
walimusaidia zaidi kwa kutimiza kazi yake/ njo
vile Tanganyika Concessions Limited alisaidia
zaidi kupita/ njo kutia Union Minière du Haut
Katanga: kwa sababu wachimbaji wake wa tuyope
walivumbua min[5] [Pp. 5-5a of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 138 KB] [Pp. 5-5a of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 206 KB] goti kama
vile Comité Spécial alitaka/ wazungu wengi
wakubwa wa Amerika: wamalekani: walisaidia kwa
kwanza Forminière/ na tangu miaka makumi matano
walibakia: musaada waaminifu wa wabelji katika
kazi ya kuongoza shirika pengine/ amri ya
mashirika ilimupatia Bulamatari faida kubwa: na
iliongeza vilevile maendeleo ya mashirika tatu/
hatuna na lazima ya kuwaelezea namna gani
18. The first one [UMHK] was to begin working in
the places where ore was found in Katanga,
producing [copper] ingots, gold and coal. And
the ore-bearing soils were processed in the
factory. The second one [BCK] was to build
another railway to go to the Bas-Congo and to
Angola. The third company [Forminière] went on
studying all the soils of the Congo and also of
the Kasai; because the soil in the bush had not
yet been tested. In order to raise the money for
those three companies the King himself also
asked for help from the "big society" and also
from [other] Whites and from many other
companies so that he himself could to carry out
his work.
19. And truly, these big companies helped him
much to carry out his work. Thus Tanganyika
Concession Ltd. helped most of all. Then this
"Union Minière du Haut Katanga" was founded
because its prospectors had discovered mines [5]
[Pp. 5-5a of the original in facsimile, GIF -
138 KB] [Pp. 5-5a of the original in facsimile,
JPEG - 206 KB] as it had been the wish of the
"Comité Spécial." Many important Whites from
America first helped the "Forminière" and since
fifty years they have offered loyal help to the
Belgians, working to set up other companies
elsewhere. The decree that established the
companies was very profitable for Bulamatari
[the government], it also contributed to
progress among the three companies. We need not
shirika yetu iliongezeka wakati wa miaka kuwa tell you how our company grew with the years to
sasa kundi la kweli/la kweli/ become a true community.
20. munamopatikana watu wa zamani wa Union 20. You will find oldtimers of the "Union
Minière kama wale wabwana wenye kuwa na roho ama Minière"[and see] that those men had the spirit
maroho yao yenye kawaida/ wenyewe wale mutawaona and that their spirit was strong enough. You
vile tulikuwa nabo: na wazungu wa U.M.H.K./ will see them yourselves, those with whom we
majina yabo hawa/ lived, and also the Whites of the UMHK. These
wa kwanza/ Tembo Walter/ yeye mutu wa kwanza are their names:
kazi ya U.M.H.K. du Haut Katanga/ 1. Tembo Walter, the first worker of the UMHK du
wa pili/ Mundali Panga Charles/ na yeye ni mutu Haut Katanga.
wa zamani wa U.M.H.K. du Katanga/ 2. Mundali Panga Charles, also an oldtimer of
wa tatu/ Kiwamina David/ na yeye ni mutu wa the UMHK du Haut Katanga.
zamani wa U.M.H.K du Katanga/ 3. Kiwamina David, another oldtimer of the UMHK
wa inne/ Matala Benoît/ na yeye ni mutu wa bwana du Haut Katanga.
U.M.H.K. wa kwanza du Katanga/ 4. Matala Benoit, he, too, is among the first
hawa mabwana hawa njo watawala wa kwanza mu kazi workers at the beginning of Bwana UMHK du Haut
ya U.M.H.K du Katanga/ tena wale mabwana njo Katanga.
wenyee kueleza yote magumu ya wazungu sawa sisi Those men were the most important ones when the
waboyi vile tuliona mateso na wazungu wa UMHK took up work in Katanga. And those men can
U.M.H.K.: S.F.K.: B.T.K.: B.C.K.: S.C.K.: tell of the difficulties the Whites and we, the
T.R.B.K.: C.M.K.T.: F.M.N.R. Tshikapa/ boys, had to go through and the suffering we saw
with the Whites of UMHK, SFK, BTK, BCK, TRBK,
CMKT, FMNR Tshikapa.27
21. kutoka pale: bwana changachanga: kutoka pale 21. From there [from that basis] Bwana Changa-
wazungu wamejitayarisha mashirika: mashirika yao Changa28 [the recruiter(s)] and the [other]
ya madini/ ni kweli pale sisi watumishi Whites managed to organize their mining
tuliyofanya kazi ya domestiques: hama kazi ya companies. Truly, this is when we servants were
boy/ tumeona vitu ya kila namna yote tu na bale the ones to do the domestic work, also called
bababa babeleji/ tena tuliona na vile makabila the work of a boy. We saw things of every sort
ya watu: watu wengi bado habayafika humu mu with those Belgian men. We, the domestic
Katanga: sisi wadomestiques/ na vile tuliona kwa servants, also saw that not many tribes of
kufika njanja hari ya Katanga ya mashariki: people had arrived yet in Katanga. We also saw
Katanga du sud/ ile magumu tuliona: haina ya the railroad arrive in East Katanga (Katanga du
kusema kwiko mwenye hakuona anawaza kwa kubisha Sud).29 Of the hardship we saw we cannot tell
tu/ tulionaka magumu kupita/ kulala chini ya those that did not see it. One could think [we
udongo: na kulumwa na wanyoka: na wa mbuu: do this] in order to cause trouble or discord.
moustiques: na vidudu ya kila namna tu/ na We suffered hardships beyond belief, sleeping on
wazungu nabo ni namna moja tu/ sababu ya the naked ground, being bitten by snakes, and by
kutafuta madini ya hapa Katanga na pia kuzidi na mosquitoes and all sorts of insects. And with
wazungu wa Comité Spécial/ njo penyewe tulikuwa the Whites it was just the same, all this to
tunatembela: sababu ya kutafuta tuyope: na search for ore here in Katanga and even more so
kufwata mu pori juu ya kolongo mu bilima ya kila with the Whites of the "Comité Spécial." This is
namna/ na wazungu na sisi waboy na pia kuzidi mu where we walked around prospecting, looking in
mitoni yoyote tu ya Katanga na Congo nzima na the bush and in the hills for rocks of all
pahali popote tu/ sorts. And, more than that, the Whites and we,
the boys, [we had to follow] all the rivers of
Katanga and of the entire Congo, everywhere.
22. tena pale wale wazungu wa kibeleji: na 22. The Whites there were Belgians, Englishmen,
wangeleza: na wamalekani: na wareno: na wa Americans, Portuguese30, Frenchmen, and others
kifarasa: na wengine wao sawa wa mataliana/ wale such as Italians. All those were the Whites with
wote njo wazungu tuliyoteswa nabo/ tena twaweza whom we suffered together. And we can praise
kuwasifu/ walikuwa wanaume wa kweli/ wale watu them, they were real men. These people took good
walituchunga vema vema: namna yote tu: ku kula: care of us in every way, they fed and clothed us
na ku kuvaa: na kutuchunga pasipo kupoteza mtu and saw to it that they did not lose one of
wao/ haiwezakane kwao wale wabwana/ na kunywa their men. [To lose men] was impossible among
tulikuwa tunakunywa vizuri bila shaka/ kwa the Bwanas. And when we drank we drank well
kulala walitukoseaka pale walituyengea tule without problems. As far as sleeping goes
tumisalani: na sasa njo tule tu/ wazungu wa [however] they failed us by building for us
bwana Robert Williams[6] [Pp. 6-7 of the those outhouses31 which have remained the same up
original in facsimile, GIF - 176 KB] [Pp. 6-7 of to now. The Whites of Bwana Robath Wiliams
the original in facsimile, JPEG - 265 KB] (Robert Wiliams)[6] [Pp. 6-7 of the original in
amefika hapa na tukaona watu wa kabila ya facsimile, GIF - 176 KB] [Pp. 6-7 of the
Nyassaland boy/ tena pale Katanga iliona hali original in facsimile, JPEG - 265 KB] [then]
ngumu muda wa siku mingi kupita/ kisha kufika arrived here and we saw people of the tribe of
njanja ku Elisabethville munamo tarehe vingt Nyassaland-boy.32 So, in Katanga there appeared a
sept Septembre mille neuf cent et dix: mambo difficult situation for a long time until the
yote ilianza kutembela muzuri tu/ railroad arrived at Elisabethville on September
27, 1910. [Then] everything began to go well.
23. ku Kasai vile vile ilifanya miaka mingi kwa 23. In the Kasai also, it took the prospectors
wachimbaji wa tuyope wa Forminière mbele ya of the "Forminiére" many years before they made
kupata kadiri kubwa ya diamants/ wamevumbua na big discoveries of diamonds. The first important
fasi mukubwa ya kwanza mu mille neuf cent sept: diamond field was discovered in 1907. These
diamants sawa vile munajua wenyee/ lakini diamonds, as you know, do not serve for jewelry
haitumili tu kwa mapambo: lakini inatumia hasa but are used in machines and factories only.
katika mashini na ndani ya chapu tu/ wakati ya During the bad years the "big society" was very
miaka mibaya: shirika kubwa ilikuwa na nguvu strong. It was the mother who watched over all
sana/ ilikuwa mama mulinzi ya watu wote tu mu the people of Katanga and in the Congo and
Katanga: na pia mu Congo na popote tu/ tena everywhere. Furthermore, it was truly
ilikuwa shirika kamilifu na ukamili: wa kamili/ dependable, a perfect company.
24. pale hakukuwaka bila nani wa kujifunza elimu 24. At that time there was a lack of people with
ya nguvu/ hakuna tu bila wawo wenyewe walikuaka higher education. There were no clerks except
wakarani/ na tukaona pale yule bwana Robath for [the Whites] themselves. Then we saw, when
Williams: Robert Williams: pale yeye akaye: njo this Bwana Robath Wiliams (Robert Wiliams)
tuliona wakarani wa kabila ya Nyassaland boy/ arrived, clerks of the tribe of Nyassaland boy.
njo tukaona wale mabwana wenye kujua mukanda/ wa We saw those men who were the first to know
kwanza alikuwa bwana huyu: letter(s). It was
wa kwanza: bwana Aloni/ karani wa ku Poste ya 1. Bwana Aloni [Aron], clerk at the Post Office
hapa pa muji mukubwa wa shaba/ here in the copper capital city.33
wa pili/ bwana Silas/ karani wa ku Banque 2. Bwana Silas, clerk with the Standard Bank --
Standard: banque ya wangeleza hapa/ the Bank of the Englishmen here.
wa tatu/ bwana Samusoni/ karani wa ku Sedec: 3. Bwana Samusoni [Samson] clerk at Sedec,34 the
magasin mukubwa ya wangeleza/ big shop of the Englishmen.
wa inne/ bwana Silas/ karani wa ku Quemis: 4. Bwana Silas, clerk at the Quemis
Pharmastique: ya wangeleza/ (Pharmastique) [Chemists, Pharmacy] of the
wa tano/ bwana Djoni/ karani wa ku Congo-Motor Englishmen.
Limited/ 5. Bwana Djoni [John] at Congo-Motor Ltd.
hawa mabwana njo walikuwaka hapa mu kazi ya
ukarani: tangu kwa kufika wazungu hapa na
Katanga/
25. na tena tukabaki muda murefu mwaka wa mille
neuf cent vingt deux: njo tukaona ku Parquet ya
hapa pa muji mukubwa wa shaba tena mara ya pili
wakarani/ interprètes wa kwanza: bwana huyu:
bwana/
wa sita/ bwana Tshimwanga Paul/ kabila ya
Bakusu: mutu wa Kindu: mwenye kusema asema kuni
ya Tshimwanga inakukaukia/
wa saba/ bwana Mushintu Henri/ Prince wa
bakalunda: mwana wa Mwanta Yava/ naye
alitumikaka kazi ku Parquet pamoja na ule bwana
Paul Tshimwanga/
wa munane/ bwana Robath: Robert César: naye wa
kabila ya Kabinda: mutu wa Lusambo/
wa kenda/ bwana chef Mwenda Munongo Antoine:
Prince du Bayeke: Bunkeya/
wa kumi/ bwana Mushitafu/ mutu wa Congo
Brazzaville: Congo Francese: karani wa biashara
kubwa ya Bon Marché hapa pa muji mkubwa wa
shaba/
wa kumi na moja/ bwana Paul Lukadi wa Gabon/
mutu wa France Congo/ wa kumi na mbili/ bwana
Robert/ naye wa ku bafrance/[7]
wa kumi na tatu/ bwana Pascal/ wa biashara/ sasa
yipo mu Commune Katuba na ile ile kazi yake ya
biashara/ ni mutu wa zamani hapa muji mkubwa wa
shaba/
wa kumi na inne/ Samuel Ebunge/ mutu wa Cameroun
ku bafrance/ naye alikuwaka karani wa Sogelec:
Those men worked here as clerks since the Whites
arrived in Katanga.
25. Then we waited a long time until the year
1922 when we saw clerks at the Parquet [the
prosecutor's office] here in copper capital
city. The first court interpreters were:
6. Bwana Tshimwanga Paul, of the Bakusu tribe, a
man from Kindu, who used to say "Tshimwanga's
firewood is dry for you."35
7. Bwana Mushintu [Mushitu] Henri, Prince of the
Lunda, son of Mwanta-yava [Mwant Yav]. He worked
at the Parquet together with Bwana Paul
Tshimwanga.
8. Bwana Robath (Robert César)36 of the Kabinda
tribe, a man from Lusambo.
9. Bwana Chief Mwanda [Mwenda] Antoine, Prince
of the Bayeke (Banyeke Bunkeya).37
10. Bwana Mushitafu [Mustafa], a man from Congo
Brazzaville, French Congo, clerk at the big
department store BON MARCHE here in the copper
capital city.38
11. Bwana Paul Lukadi, from Gabon, a man from
French Congo.
12. Bwana Robert, also from the French
[colonies].[7]
13. Bwana Pascal who was in commerce. Now he
resides in Commune Katuba [Katuba township] and
works as a trader. He is an oldtimer here in
copper capital city.39
14. Samiel [Samuel] Ebunge, a man from Cameroon
in the French [colonies]. He was clerk at
na wakundi yake bamingi pale na mweye muliwaona/
ile wakati ya Robath Williams tuliteswa sana na
magumu mukubwa: na pale wazungu wengi wanaanza
kutufikia/ sisi waboy tuliteswa nabo/
wa kumi na tano/ bwana Ngoie Léon/ alikuwaka
mutumishi wa kwanza mu Banque du Congo Belge/
naye ni muluba wa kwanza ku wakarani wa Katanga/
hii ni habari ya zamani ku watu awa waliyojulika
hapa pa Katanga/
26. kwa kufika wazungu mu mwaka wa mille neuf
cent et neuf: na kufika mu mwaka wa mille neuf
cent et dix: kufika mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent
onze: na mille neuf cent douze: na mille neuf
cent treize: na mille neuf cent quatorze: vita
ya Tabora ikaanza/ na kufika mwaka wa mille neuf
cent dix huit: na vile tulifika ku vita ya mille
neuf cent quarante/ nayo ikamalizika mwaka wa
mille neuf cent quarante cinq/ vita ya bwana
Hitaler Adolphe wa waluma: na pia na mwenzake
Mousolina wa wamataliana: Italiens/ pale kutoka
mu vita ya mille neuf cent quatorze: wababa yetu
sisi waboy waliteswa sana na kubeba masasi: na
walikufa zaidi vile waliyotuambiaka wababa yetu:
zetu/ na vile sisi wenyewe na sisi tukachukua
vile vile madaraka ya vita ya mille neuf cent
quarante à mille neuf cent quarante cinq/ na
sisi tulipiganisha ile vita ile: vile vile sawa
vile wababa na wababu wetu vile walipiganisha
vita ya mille neuf cent quatorze à mille neuf
cent dix huit/ ni kweli sisi waboys tuliona vitu
vikali/
Sogelec.40 And there were many from his group in
those days and you saw them. In the time of
Robath Wiliams we suffered a lot and there were
big problems with those many Whites that came to
us. We, the boys, suffered with them.
15. Bwana Ngoie Léon was the first employee at
the Banque du Congo Belge. He was the first
Muluba among the clerks in Katanga.
This is the news of old of the people who were
known here in Katanga.
26. And when the Whites arrived here in the year
1909, in the year 1910, in the year 1911, and
1912, and in 1914 the war of Tabora began. It
went on until 1918. So we come to the war of
1940 which ended in 1945, the war of Bwana
Hitaler [Hitler] Adolphe of the Germans,
together with his friend Mousolina [Mussolini]
of the Italians. Since the war of 1914 our, the
boys", fathers suffered a lot carrying
ammunition. And very many died as our fathers
told us. And many of us also carried the burden
of the war from 1940 to 1945. And we helped to
fight that war as our fathers and grandfathers
had fought the war from 1914 to 1918. It is
true, we, the boys, saw atrocious things.
27. na tena kufika kwa bwana yule tulisema hapa
pa vocabulaire bwana Robath Williams mu Katanga/
hamukuwaka mutu wa kazi moja alikuwa na nguvu ya
kufungula kinywa yake hata kidogo/ walikuwa
wenye matata sana sana/ pale wazungu wengi
walikuwa wanalala mu visukulu: termitière/ pale
sisi waboys tulikuwa mu kulala mu mateso ya
kweli/ tena kama Mufalme Léopold II hakufariki:
kama hatukuendelea na butumwa sawa wa pa Mfalume
Albert wa kwanza/ maana bwana Mufalme Léopold II
aliheshimia kanuni ya inchi ya Afrika: na pia mu
Congo/ tena na waboys wa ile wakati ya Mufalme
Léopold II walikuwa wanakula na wazungu meza
moja tu/ yeye yule kuona ni mutumishi wake:
habakuwa sawa wale wazungu wenye kufika nyuma ya
Mufalme Léopold II/ kwa kufariki kwake: njo
Mufalme Albert wa kwanza akapiana/ wale wazungu
walichukua mipango yao mikali: na mipango yao ya
namna mubaya kupita/ njo bale balileta butumwa
bubaya kwiko sisi wakongomani/
28. sababu wao njo waliwaza kumujengea mutu
mweusi nyumba moja: moja/ yeye yule mutu: iko na
bibi wake na watoto[8] [Pp. 8-9 of the original
in facsimile, GIF - 179 KB] [Pp. 8-9 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 271 KB] wake:
wengine wanaume: na wengine wanawake/ sasa mutu
huyu maskini mwenye bibi na watoto wake ni
mwenye kuteswa pa kulala na pa kulamuka/ ni mutu
gani? ni mutu maskini boy mwenye kulala mu
kachumba kamoja na watoto wake wanawake na
wanaume/ yeye pa kwenda ku kazi: sasa maskini
boy pa kulamuka yeye anasema na watoto wake wote
27. And then41 the man about whom we have spoken
in this Vocabulary, Bwana Robath Wiliams,
arrived here in Katanga. There was not a single
worker who was able to open his mouth, even a
little bit. They were big trouble, those many
Whites when they lived in Termite Hills.42 Then
we boys lived in true misery. And if King
Léopold had not died we would not have remained
in slavery as we did under King Albert the
First. Because King Léopold respected the laws
of Africa and of the Congo. Furthermore, the
boys at the time of Kind Léopold II ate together
with the Whites at one table. [The White] saw
him as his employee. They were not like the
Whites who came after King Léopold II. When he
died, King Albert the First succeeded him. Those
Whites took severe decisions, and their
decisions were of a bad sort indeed. It was they
who brought a bad sort of slavery to us, the
Congolese.
28. Because they thought [it good] to build for
us black people just a one-room house. [But]
this man had his wife and his children[8] [Pp.
8-9 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 179 KB]
[Pp. 8-9 of the original in facsimile, JPEG -
271 KB] some of them male, some of them female.
Now this poor man with his wife and children
suffered when he went to sleep and when he
awoke. Who is this man? The poor man, the boy,
who sleeps in one small room together with his
children, female and male. When he goes to work,
the poor boy, when he wakes up, he says to all
wale wenye kukomea asema: wamama na wababa his grown-up children: Mothers and fathers, you
muniwe kwanza razi/ mulamuke mwende: ao mutoke must excuse me. Get up and leave, or go first
kwanza inje/ mimi muzee wenu nataka kwanza kuvaa outside. Me, your old man, I want to put on my
mavazi/ ni kweli: pale watoto wa mutu wanaanza clothes first. Truly, then the man's children
kuibulula na kuogopa ya kama baba anataka kuvala began to file out, out of respect because their
ende kazini/ watoto watatoka wote: baba yabo father wanted to get dressed so he could go to
ameyisha vaa: njo ameita wanaye asema: wana work. The children would all have to get out
wangu sasa muingieni: mimi baba yenu nimeyisha until their father had finished dressing. Then
vaa/ na tutoto sasa tunaanza tena kurudi he called them: children come back in, I, your
nyumbani/ akiwa mama naye amefikilia na kuamuka: father am finished dressing. And the little
ni namna moja tu: haiachane/ hiyi njo mateso ya children now began to come back into the house.
sisi waboy/ pia ukipokelea mugeni: mugeni: ni And when his wife came to wake up, it was the
namna moja tu: haibadirike hata kidogo/ same, no difference. This has been our, the
boys', suffering. Also, if you had to receive a
guest, it is the same way, it does not change a
thing.
29. tena ule muzungu yeye yipo na vyumba mbili/ 29. And should this White man have two rooms,
inenea kuleta na mutumishi wake boy yote mbili/ enough to give both to his employee, the boy, he
yeye anatiamo ufungo wake wa makuku: na pia puts a lock on it [to make it] his chicken coop
tululu twake yeye mwenyewe/ pale njo watu wa or rabbit hutch. In that respect the Whites had
ulaya walikuwa na roho yao mubaya sana/ lakini a very bad spirit indeed. But there were many
kulikuwa wengine wao wamekuwa na roho yabo zuri among them who had a very good spirit and took
sana ya kulinda watu zaidi/ hii ni mambo ya very good care of their people.
wageni: watu wa Ulaya: vile walitesa wababa wetu This is the story of the foreigners, people from
na wababu wetu/ sisi wakongomani: sasa tutaona Europe, how they made our fathers and
nini? sasa tutaona vile muji wa Katanga wenye grandfathers suffer. And now, what are we, the
kutawala kwa ile wakati ya wabeleji: ni muji Congolese, going to see now? Now we are going to
gani? ya kwanza mutaona mu musafara ya ukurasa see which were the foremost towns in Katanga at
wa kwanza/ the time of the Belgians.
The first [towns] you will see in the lines of
the first chapter that follows.
II. MUGINI WA KWANZA KUVUMA NI KALUKU-
LUKU(ETOILE).
huyu njo mugini wa kwanza kuvuma pa jimbo la
Katanga yote tu nzima/
ya pili/ Lubumbashi/ naye njo mugini ulikuwa wa
kavumo/ hayakuya bado E/Ville: ama kusema
Elisabethville/ haikuwako pa ile wakati ile
mille neuf cent et un/
ya tatu/ Tshilongo/ naye ni mugini moja
ilipataka kavumo ya nguvu sana: mille neuf cent
et deux/
ya inne/ Kambove/ naye ni mugini moja
ilipatikana jina lake kote tu: mille neuf cent
et deux/
ya tano/ Kamatanda na Sofumwango/ naye ilipata
jina ile mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent et dix/
ya sita/ Kalule-Nord/ naye alipata kavumo zamani
zakale mwaka wa mille neuf cent et dix/
ya saba/ Bukama/ naye njo pale iliisha nguvu ya
njanja ya bwana Jean Jadot: mille neuf cent et
dix/
sasa mutasikia majina ya Kamatanda na Sofumwango
na Kalule-Nord/ [9]
II. 1. THE FIRST TOWN TO ACHIEVE FAME WAS
KAKLUKU-LUKU (ETOILE.
This was the first town to get to be known all
over the province of Katanga.
2. Lubumbashi also was a well known village
before it became Eville, that is to say,
Elisabethville, which did not yet exist at that
time in 1901.
3. Tshilongo, also a village which had much
notoriety in 1902.43
4. Kambove was also a village whose name was
known everywhere [in] 1902.
5. Kamatanda and Sofumwango got their names in
the year 1910.
6. Kalule-Nord became famous long ago in the
year 1910.
7. Bukama is the place where the strength of the
railroad of Bwana Jean Jadot ended. 1910.
Now you will hear the names of Kamatanda, and
Sofumwango, and Kalule-Nord.[9]
III. KIENDA-BIELA ADILWA VITA NA BAZUNGU 1917.
1. ya kwanza/ ya kwanza Kalule-Nord maana yake
nini? maana yake ni kusema yule Kalule-Nord
alikuwa ku mangaribi ya Kalule-Sud/ sasa pale
njanja ikafika pale na Kalule-Nord: palikuwaka
fasi moja ya ajabu/ palikuwaka bonde mubaya sana
muno/ pale wazungu wakatia njanja yao kwa kufika
pa Kalule-Nord/ pale kulikuwaka bwana moja jina
lake yaitwa kama bwana Kienda-Biela/ yule bwana
alikuwaka na majende yake mbaya muno/ nayee
hakutaka njanja ya yule bwana Jean Jadot ipitie
pale hapana/ bwana yule Kiendabiela alikanusha
sana kwa babo bapitishe njanja yao pale/ na kwa
vile nabo watu wa ulaya sawa vile munajua mweye
benyewe ni watu wamoja beko na roho yao ya ajabu
sana/ na babo balikanusha kwa bwana Kienda-
Biela: wakapikana vita nguvu muno na wazungu/ ni
kweli: yule bwana Kienda-Biela yeye alikuwa na
bunduki yake ya bupinde: upinde armée: arc: na
mishale: flèches/ yeye hakukuwaka hata na
bunduki ya masashi: hama silaha: hapana/ bwana
Kienda-Biela/ na kweli walipikanisha vita muda
wa siku mingi/
2. na wazungu kweli wana waulaya nabo kwa upande
wao: walifanyaka nguvu yao yote/ wakamuweza yule
bwana Kienda-Biela/ walifanya mayele yao pamoja
na muke wake/ yeye bwana Kienda-Biela:
III. KIENDA-BIELA FOUGHT THE WAR AGAINST THE
WHITES [IN] 1917
1. First of all, what is the meaning of "Kalule-
Nord?" Its meaning is that "Kalule-Nord" was to
the West [?] of "Kalule-Sud." Now, when the
railroad arrived at Kalule-Nord there was a
place that was mysterious. There was a very
dangerous, narrow and deep valley. So when the
Whites were laying their rails to get to Kalule-
Nord, there was one man, his name was Bwana
KIENDABIELA. This man was capable of working
very powerful miracles. And he did not like
Bwana Jean Jadot's railroad passing there. This
Bwana Kienda-Biela was very much opposed to
their having the railroad pass in this place.
And, as you know, these people from Europe also
have a very tough spirit. So they opposed Bwana
Kienda-Biela, and they made war against each
other with great force, [Kienda-Biela] and the
Whites. Truly this Bwana Kienda-Biela had muzzle
loaders, bows and arrows. Bwana Kienda-Biela had
no modern guns or [other] fire arms at all.
Truly, they fought a war for many days.
2. And the Whites, the children of Europe, on
their side, put all their strength into it and
they beat this Bwana Kienda-Biela. They made
their plan together with Kienda-Biela's wife.
wakamufanya zunguluke kwa muke wake/ yule
maskini bwana Kienda-Biela: bibi akayavumbua
malifa ya yule mume wake/ kweli akawambia
wazungu kwa hivi/ asema kama munataka kumuweza
yule bwana: yafaa mweye wazungu munilipe mimi
mali ya kweli: na mimi nitamipatia namna ya
malifa yake/ ni kweli wazungu nabo ni wamajee na
nguvu tele/ wakamudanganya maskini bibi yule ya
kwamba mbele utupashe kwanza namna gani mume
wako anasindakana? maskini muke wake bwana
Kienda-Biela akaelezea nguvu ya mume wake/ kweli
akazidi kuvumbua majee ya wake bwana/ asema yule
bwana: nguvu yake ni mu punji wa muhindi/
mukiiuvunja tu: basi bwana Kienda-Biela
munamuweza tu/
3. kweli watu wa ulaya walifasilia sawa vile
muke wake amesema/ kweli wakapima kuvunja/ kweli
bwana Kienda-Biela alikuwaka ndani ya bonde/
sasa ametokea peupe tu: na vile wazungu
walimukamata bwana Kienda-Biela kumufunga na
miyololo yao/ tena bwana Kienda-Biela aliwambia
ya kama mweye wazungu musiniue hapa pangu pa
mukini yangu hapana/ twendeni tu na mweye mupaka
mu E/Ville/ tena musimuache yule mtoto yangu
[10] [Pp. 10-11 of the original in facsimile,
GIF - 184 KB] [Pp. 10-11 of the original in
facsimile, JPEG - 275 KB] Lenge Mayiloshi/ ni
kweli: wazungu walikuyaka na yule bwana Kienda-
Biela: balimuletaka hapa na Elisabethville/
akafikia ku fasi yaitwa kwa Drooplans/ kule njo
alifikiaka na bakamuchuna ngozi yake yeye
mwenyewe muzima pasipo hata kumuaua/ na wazungu
They made his wife betray him. This poor Bwana
Kienda-Biela, his wife revealed her husband's
secrets. Truly, she told the Whites this: If you
want to beat this man you Whites must pay me a
big sum and I will tell you how his secrets
work. Truly, the Whites, they are very clever
and strong. They cheated this poor wife, saying:
First you explain to us how your husband has his
success. This poor wife of Bwana Kienda-Biela's
fell for it and explained her husband's power.
Truly, she gave everything away concerning her
husband's secret: This man's power lies in a
corncob. If you break it, you will beat Bwana
Kienda-Biela.
3. Truly the Europeans reported what his wife
had told them. They tried breaking [the
corncob]. Truly, Bwana Kienda-Biela was down in
the deep valley. Now that [his secret] had been
revealed the Whites grabbed Bwana Kienda-Biela
and put him in their chains. Then Bwana Kienda-
Biela told them: You white people, don't kill me
here in my village. Let us go together to
Eville. Also, don't leave my child [10] [Pp. 10-
11 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 184 KB]
[Pp. 10-11 of the original in facsimile, JPEG -
275 KB] Lenge Mayiloshi behind. So the Whites
came with this Bwana Kienda-Biela; they brought
him here to Elisabethville. He arrived at the
place called "Drooplans".44 That is where he
arrived and they skinned him alive, without
killing him [first]. And the Whites told him: We
walimuambia ya kama tunakufanya vile sababu wewe
Kienda-Biela ulitusumbua sana: na uliuaua
wazungu wengi sana muno/ njo kisha yake
kumuchuna ngozi/ naye amefariki pale pale tu
basi/
4. njo bakamuweka kifwatulo ya shamende pa
nyumba moja ilikuwaka ya muzungu yule
wamakashini: magasin ya Robenisoni ule mungeleza
wa Robath Williams: na Avenue balabala Sankulu:
Sankuru: sasa imeitwa asema avenue Jean
L'Habitime: yule Monseigneur wetu: baba mukubwa
wa waChristu hapa/ hii ni habari ya bwana
Kienda-Biela: vile ilipitaka ku Kalule-Nord/
5. sasa ni ukumbusho wa Kamatanda/ Kamatanda
alivuma juu ya Likasi Panda/ sababu zamani
mashua haikuwa inafika ku Panda Likasi: ama sasa
asema Jadotville: hapana/ mashua ilikuwa njanja
paka Kamatanda: njo palikuwa sawa gare:
kitesheni mukubwa ya kwenda na Elisabethville/
sasa mutaona Kamatanda tena musikie jina ya yule
bwana Kienda-Biela: vile watu wa huku walianza
na kumutapa asema Kienda-Biela adirwa vita na
bazungu mu Kalule-Nord/
IV. KAMATANDA NI SOFUMWANGO.
are doing this to you because you, Kienda-Biela,
made us suffer a lot. And you killed many, many
Whites. Then they skinned him. And he died on
the spot.
4. They erected a cement monument for him near a
house which belonged to a white man, the owner
of Robinson's shop, an Englishman of Robath
Wiliams', on Avenue Sankuru. Now it is called
Avenue Jean L'Habitine [de Hemptinne], our
Monseigneur and leader of the Christians here.
This is the story of Bwana Kienda-Biela as it
happened at Kalule-Nord.45
5. Now comes a reminder of Kamatanda. Kamatanda
became known because of Likasi-Panda. Because
long ago, the train did not reach Panda-Likasi
or, as they now call it, Jadotville. The rails
only got to Kamatanda where there was a big
station to go to Elisabethville. When you see
Kamatanda now you will still hear the name of
Bwana Kienda-Biela. Thus the people here began
to praise him [because] Kienda-Biela fought a
war against the Whites at Kalule-Nord.
IV. KAMATANDA AND SOFUMONGO.46
Kamatanda na Sofumwango ni fasi moja watu
walikuwa wanaonapo mateso ya kushukashuka/ kama
batu banafika pa ile fasi: ama Kamatenda ama
Sofumwango: sasa Kamatanda: mateso ya kushuka
juu ya kwenda tena lwa mikulu ku Likasi na
Panda/ tena Sofumwango yeye: mateso ya bonde/
alikuwa na bonde yenye lukumba mubaya muno/ kama
mashua inafika pale: watu wote paka kiiimiaaah/
mashua ikisha kuvuka ngambo: njo watu wanaanza
na kuimba mwimbo ya kama: tunapanda Sofumwango:
tunapanda Sofumwango/ paka vile kila wakati
hakukuwaka mutu wa kusema kama mupo munapanda
Sofumwango: hata nani: hata nani/ akiwa hata wa
ngozi mweupe: ni paka vile tu/ hii njo maana ya
Kamatanda na Sofumwango/
V. KALUKULUKU (ETOILE).
1. Kalukuluku ilikuwaka fasi mukubwa ya kwanza
kwiko bwana Robath Williams/ ilikuwaka fasi ya
mingoti ya kwanza pale/ sasa kupika mikuba ni mu
Lubumbashi/ na sasa vile vile/ paka ile fasi ya
zamani na Bulamatari alikuwaka paka ku
Kalukuluku: Etoile/ kule njo kulikuwaka kama mtu
ipo na mambo: paka ende kusamba ku Kalukuluku:
Etoile: kwa Commissaire bwana Maundras: njo
[The line between] Kamatanda and Sofumwango is a
place where people had much trouble getting off
[the train]. When the people arrived at this
place -- be it Kamatanda or Sofumwango, [but]
now [we talk of] Kamatanda-- it was burdensome
to get off and then walk to Likasi and Panda.
Also there was suffering at Sofumwango because
there was a gorge with a very bad curve. When
the train arrived there the people all fell
absolutely silent. When the train came out on
the other side people began to sing a song: "We
go up to Sofumwango, we go up to Sofumwango." So
it was every time, no one spoke when they came
to the spot where you go up to Sofumwango, not a
soul. Even if he had a white skin, it was just
the same. This is the meaning of Kamatanda and
Sofumwango.
V. KALUKULUKU (ETOILE).
1. Kalukuluku was the first headquarters of
Bwana Robath Wiliams. It was the place of the
first mines. Now, the ingots were cast at
Lubumbashi as they are up to this day. In those
days the Government used to be at Kalukuluku
(Etoile). If a man had a case he went to
Kalukuluku, Etoile, to have his palaver settled
by Commissaire Maundras, the first commissaire
kamishedi wa kwanza: Commissaire premier: hapa here in Katanga. After that one came Bwana
na Katanga/ kisha yule njo kukaye bwana commissaire who gave the name C O W E47 [to the
Commissaire yule ameleta jina ya COWE/ njo[11] government post]. That[11] was the meaning of
kwa maana mulisikia jina ya COWE/ alikuwa the name COWE which you have heard, it was the
kamishedi wa pili/ yeye njo alipanuna wapolices second commissaire['s name]. He was the one who
wawe na Camp de Police mukubwa hapa/ pale built up the police force [and saw to it] that
Lubumbashi ingaliki wazungu wapo wanalala mu they had a large police camp here. In Lubumbashi
bisukulu sawa tulieleza pale mu ukurasa wa pili: the Whites were still living in Termite Hills as
na wa tatu: na wa kwanza/ we reported in the second chapter, in the third,
and in the first.48
2. sasa mutaona mabalabala: avenues humu/ 2. Now you will see the streets, the avenues
ilikuwaka tu mbili/ baba yabo ya mabalabala na here. At that time there were only two. The
mama yabo wa mabalabala ni huyu/ ni: father of the streets and the mother of the
wa kwanza/ avenue Kalulukulu: Etoile: Sankuru: streets were these:
Jean L'Habtine F./ 1. AVENUE KALUKULUKU (ETOILE), SANKURU (SANKURU
ya pili/ Avenue Sankuru/ na nguvu yake iliishia [now] JEAN L'HABTINE F. [Jean-Félix de
mupaka pa njanja Camp Militaire/ basi njo pale Hemptinne].
anaishia nguvu yake ile balabala/ 2. Avenue Sankulu [Sankuru]49, its force ended at
ya tatu/ Avenue Banane: chamakonde/ ile balabala the rails, near the military camp, this is where
ni muzungu moja alitokaka ku Banane: inchi moya the force of that road ended.
ya kule ku upande ya Congo Français/ njo 3. Avenue Banane (Chamakonde [banana in Luba]).
akapanda ndizi ya bitika kandokando ya ile This street [got its name from] a white man who
balabala/ sasa ile ndizi ilifungana zaidi came from Banana, a region of the French Congo.
kupita/ sasa kulikuwaka bwana Wangermain/ njo He grew bananas along that road. Now, the
ule alifokaka kwa kuondoa ile/ balabala ile: bananas really crowded this street. Then there
ndizi njo kuileta jina ya avenue Royale/ sasa was Bwana Wangermain [Wangermée]50 who got angry
imeitwa asema avenue Mwepu Boniface/ pale sisi and had them pulled out. This banana street got
tuipo mu uhuru wa Katanga/ na yule bwana akaleta the name Avenue Royale. Now it is called Avenue
balabala jina tena/ Mwepu Boniface. With that we get to the
ya inne/ Avenue Tabora/ sasa iko jina Godefroid independence of Katanga.51 And this Bwana [Mwepu]
Munongo/ gave his name to the street.
njo vile tulikuwa na mabalabala humu mu muji 4. Avenue Tabora. Now it is called Godefroid
mukubwa wa shaba/ na vile vile hama muji Munongo.
ulipanuka: njo kuyaleta kila balabala/ Those were the streets we had here in copper
capital city. And thus the city grew and each
street was given [a name].
3. sasa mutaona vile vile mafasi vile ilikuwaka/ 3. You will now also see the places where they
hapa sasa njo ikageuka/ naweza kumipasha habari were. Nowadays [the names] have changed. I52 can
ya fasi na fasi vile ilikuwaka/ yafaa kuangaria give you the history of every place. You must
kila ukurasa vizuri mujue vile tumeeleza/ look carefully at every chapter so that you will
know how we explained it.

VI. MUJI WA LUBUMBASHI AMA MUJI WA VI. THE CITY OF LUBUMBASHI53 (OR: THE CITY OF
ELISABETHVILLE, ULIKUWAKAGINSI GANI MABWANA? ELISABETHVILLE): [DO YOU KNOW] HOW IT WAS,
ULIKUWAKA HIVI! GENTLEMEN? THIS IS HOW IT WAS!

wazungu kwa kuyenga ama kwa kujenga muji huyu
kulikuwaka ni hatari zaidi muno/ pale wazungu
wapo wanalala mu bisukulu: termitière/ ni kweli
walikuwa wanaume zaidi/ kisha bale babwana
kutoka mu bisukulu: wameisha kutia njanja/ sasa
njo kule walipata nguvu yao ya kubebesha vyombo
vya kazi yao/ njo tukaona wanaanza kujenga
manyumba ya manjanja: malata ao tôles ya yulu
tu/ kisha bado kidogo: njo kufwatula matafari/
njo kwanza kujenga manyumba ya matafari/ na ile
matafari ingine ilikuwa inatoka ku Caipe-Tauni/
wao njo kule walikuwa wanaomba na ku Bulawayo
njo kule/[12] [Pp. 12-13 of the original in
When the Whites built this city there was much
danger. At that time the Whites lived in Termite
Hills. Truly, they were real men. When these men
left Termite Hills they had already laid the
rails. Now they were able to transport their
equipment. We saw how they began to build houses
with roofs of corrugated iron. Then, after a
little while, they made bricks. This is when
they began to construct brick houses. Other
bricks came from Caipe-Tauni [Capetown], this is
where they ordered them; and also in Bulawayo,
that is where [they ordered them]54 [12] [Pp. 12-
13 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 159 KB]
facsimile, GIF - 159 KB] [Pp. 12-13 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 239 KB]
VII. HOTELS DE VILLE D'ELISABETHVILLE.
kisha kuomba matafari kule Bulawayo na ku
Kepitauni: walianza kujenga hôtel mukubwa moja/
ni hiyi:
ya kwanza/ Grand Hôtel/ yenye kupatikana mu
Avenue du Camp/ sasa iko Chichul/
ya pili/ Hôtel Bruxelles/ Avenue Etoile: sasa ni
Avenue Moïse Tshombe/
ya tatu/ Hôtel Mitrapol/ Avenue Etoile/
ya inne/ Hôtel Makiris/ Avenue Moëro: hôtel ya
Kiliki: Grèce/
ya tano/ Hôtel Central/ Avenue Lomani: hôtel ya
Kiliki: Grèce/
ya sita/ Hôtel Cercle Albert/ ni hôtel ya
Bulamatari: Avenue Royale: Mwepu Boniface/
ya saba/ Hôtel Katanga ya bwana Quaria ni
mutadiana: Italien/
ya munane/ Hôtel Stafu-Mess ya U.M.H.K./ ni mu
Lubumbashi/
ya kenda/ Hôtel Berveau/ avenue Youlou: ex
Kasai/
ya kumi/ Hôtel Albert/ avenue Royale: Mwepu
Boniface/
ya kumi na moja/ Hôtel du Globe ya Mr. Wekat:
[Pp. 12-13 of the original in facsimile, JPEG -
239 KB]
VII. HOTELS DES VILLE55 D'ELISABETHVILLE
After they had ordered bricks, there in Bulawayo
and in Kapitauni [Capetown], they began to build
a big hotel which is the
1. Grand Hotel on Avenue du Camp now Chichul
[Churchill]56
2. Hotel Bruxelles, Avenue Etoile (now it is
Avenue Moïse Tshombe).57
3. Hotel Mitrapol [Métropole], Avenue Etoile.
4. Hotel Makiris [Macris], Avenue Moëro, an
hotel owned by a Greek.58
5. Hotel Central, Avenue Lomami, also owned by a
Greek.59
6. Hotel Cercle Albert, which is the hotel of
the Government, Avenue Royale (Mwepu B.).60
7. Hotel Katanga, owned by Bwana Quaria, an
Italian.61
8. Hotel Stafu-Mess [staff mess] of the UMHK in
Lubumbashi.
9. Hotel Berveau [Bellevue], Avenue Youlou (ex-
Kasai).62
10. Hotel Albert, Avenue Royale (Mwepu
Boniface).63
11. Hotel du Globe, owned by Mr. Wekat named
Chamu-Chamu/ sasa inaitwa Hôtel Léo II/
ya kumi na mbili/ Café Royal/ Avenue ex Sankuru:
Jean Hemptinne Mgr./
hiyi munaona njo mahôtel ya hapa muji mukubwa wa
shaba/
VIII. SASA NI MAYENGO YA MUJI WA ELISABETHVILLE VIII. NOW ABOUT BUILDING THE CITY OF
KWA KUJUA FASI NA FASI ANGARIENI PALE PILIKUWAKA ELISABETHVILLE. SO AS TO KNOW EACH PLACE: LOOK
FASI NA FASI: NI FASI GANI NA FASI GANI?
1. sasa oneni pale peko nyumba ya bwana
Commissaire wa wapolices/ njo fasi ilikuwaka
mashini ya kupikana: hama kupimana mangumi:
makofi/ alafu pale peko bureau ya bwana
Bourgmestre wa kwanza: na wa pili/ pale njo
palikuwaka fasi ya bwana Latinné mwenye kuwa
mungozi ama kirongozi mukubwa wa COWE/ na pale
peko bureau ya Contentieux njo palikuwa bwana
Mandevu wa transport ya wapongolo: mules: a
punda/ njo bale balikuwa banabeba bintu humu:
sababu zamani hakukuwaka motokari/ alafu pale
peko sasa masomo ya St. François Xavier: na
Radio Collège: njo palikuwaka Salésiens/ ile iko
sasa ku Kafubu: Mgr. Sac pale/
2. nyumba ya Mungu ilikuwaka pale karibu na
Avenue Zambèze: kule karibu na lupango ya
Chamu-Chamu. It is now called Hotel Léo II.64
12. Café Royal, Avenue ex-Sankuru (Jean
Hemptinne Mgr.).65
These, as you see, are the hotels here in copper
capital city.66
WHERE EACH PLACE WAS. WHAT WAS THIS PLACE?
1. Now look where the house was of Bwana
Commissaire of the police. It is the place where
they used to have the equipment for boxing.67 But
the place where the office of the first and
second mayor was at Bwana Latinné's place who
used to be the boss of COWE. Where the office of
the Contentieux [legal claims department] is now
there used to be Bwana Mandevu's [the bearded
one] place whose business was the transport by
mules and donkeys. They used to carry things
here because in those days there were no cars.
Where the school St. François Exavien [Xavier]
and the Radio Collège are now this used to be
the place of the Salagene [Salesians];: they are
at Kavubu [Kafubu], Mgr. Sac [at Mgr. Sak's
place].68
2. The church used to be near Avenue Zambéz
[Zambezi], near the Governor's compound, that is
Gouverneur/ njo pale palikuwaka nyumba ya Mungu/ where the church was. The priests were Dédec,
mupele pale ni Dédec: na Grégoire: na Oscar/ na Gregoire, and Oscal.69 That was when Père Dédec
kisha yake: njo pale Père Dédéc anatundikisha had this Bwana François hanged.70 That was the
yule bwana François/ njo kazi yake iliisha/ njo end of his career. Then came Bwana Monseigneur
ku kuya bwana Monseigneur Jean Félix Hemptinne Jean Felixise Hemptinne71 from Kayoyo Mufunga
tokea ku Mission Kayoyo Mufunga/ ni pale bwana [Sampwe] Mission. That is when this Bwana
yule alifika hapa na Eville/[13] lakini kwa arrived here in E/VILLE.[13] However, on the
yeye: hapa alifikaka hapa bulongo ya Katanga na soil of Katanga he arrived in 1910. But the
mwaka wa mille neuf cent et dix/ lakini pale first superior of the Fathers was Bwana Dédec.
mbele mukubwa wa waPères alikuwaka bwana Dédéc/ He founded the Mission here in E/Ville.
njo mwenye kwanza hiyi Mission ya hapa na
Eville/
3. kweli tena alikosa bukubwa juu ya kukanusha 3. Truly he lost his high position because he
kuwa kumutundika Bwana François/ alikuwaka gave orders to hang Bwana François. He was a
Kasai/ alimupata yule muzungu na muke wake bibi Kasaian who caught this white man in flagrante
Henriette/ sasa ule bwana akamuua yule rafiki ya with his wife Henrithé [Henriette]. Then Bwana
yule muzungu: alikuwaka wa B.C.K./ sasa yeye [François] killed the friend of this white man.
mwenye kutembela na bibi ya bwana François He was an employee of BCK. [The white man]
akabaki nyumbani na bibi wa benyee wa bwana himself who went with the wife of Bwana François
François/ sasa yule alikuwaka zamu: njo was in the house together with the wife of Bwana
alisulubiwa sana sana: na tunefu/ na pia vile François. [The White man's friend] who was on
alifariki/ yeye yule bwana muzungu anafia fumba the lookout was attacked with knives, and
makanda muchele una benyewe: hama mwenyewe/ finally he died. This [other] White Bwana died
for nothing: the peels of another man's rice.
4. hii ni mambo ile: bwana Dédéc alikosaka 4. This [affair] explains why this Bwana Dédec
kupata fasi ya Monseigneur hapa petu pa muji failed to get the position of Monseigneur
mukubwa wa shaba: sababu hakusikilizana na yule [bishop] here among us in copper capital city.
Mufalme wa wabeleji bwana Albert wa kwanza wa Because he did not get along with this King of
Belge: Belgique/ mwaka wa kufa yule bwana the Belgians, Bwana Albert the First of
François ni mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt deux/ Belgium.72 And Bwana François died in the year
tena balimutundika mu saa ya asubuyi pale pa 1922. They hanged him in the morning [at a
fasi ya makutano ya Avenue Limite Sud na Avenue place] where the avenues Limite du Sud and Mgr.
Monseigneur Jean Hemptinne Félix: pale pa fasi
ilikuwaka ya soko ya bazungu pale/
IX. KUFIKA KWA BWANA SIMON KIBANGISTE TOKEA KU
THYSVILLE INCHI YA BAKONGO. ALIPITIA NJIA YA
MATADI NA NGUNGU, NA KUFIKA LEOPOLDVILLE KALINA
NA KUFIKA MU KATANGA.
1. kweli bwana yule Simon Kibangiste alifikaka
hapa na muji mukubwa wa shaba mu mwaka wa mille
neuf cent vingt deux tokea ku Léopoldville/ njo
kule ku upande ya kwabo tu/ kisha yeye yule
bwana kufika hapa: ni kweli alifikaka bwana
Simon mwenye kuwekwa mu sanduku ya mbao sawa
vyuma vya motoka/ baliongopesha yeye kwa
kukimbia/ naye yeye mu mawazo yake hakutakaka
akimbie lwake hapana/ alifikaka tu vizuri hapa
pa muji mukubwa wa shaba/ na pale alifikaka yule
bwana Simon Kibangiste: alifikilia kule ku fasi
ya Diplan/ wapi? kule kwiko Vétérinaire ya
Bulamatari/ kule njo kule bwana Simon Kibangiste
balimuwekaka kule/ bakafanya ku ile sanduku yake
ile zimu ya[14] [Pp. 14-15 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 164 KB] [Pp. 14-15 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 241 KB] canon
mukubwa ya Militaire kwa kumuua yule bwana/
kweli walitia canon mu tundu la sanduku/ kwa
Jean Hemptinne Félixise meet. This is where the
market for Whites used to be.73
IX. THE ARRIVAL OF BWANA SIMON KIBANGISTE FROM
TINSVILLE [Thysville] IN THE COUNTRY OF THE
BAKONGO. HE WENT BY THE ROAD OF MATADI AND
NGUNGU TO LEOPOLDVILLE-KALIMA AND ARRIVED IN
KATANGA.
1. Truly, this Bwana Simon Kibangiste [Simon
Kimbangu] arrived here in copper capital city in
the year 1922, from Léopoldville.74 This is where
their country lies. Then this Bwana arrived
here. Truly, Bwana Simon arrived in a wooden
crate in which they had put him, like the ones
they use for shipping car parts. They put a
scare on him so that he would not escape. But
he, in his thoughts, had no intention of running
away to his home country. He arrived well here
in copper capital city. This Bwana Simon
Kibangiste arrived at a place [called] Diplans
[Leplae]. Where is this? It is at the Government
veterinary's,75 that is where they put Bwana
Simon Kibangiste. Then they made a hole in his
crate,[14] [Pp. 14-15 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 164 KB] [Pp. 14-15 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 241 KB] for a big
military canon, in order to kill this man.
kulia ile canon: sanduku ilizambalala tu yote/
lakini bwana Simon alikuwa paka tu muzima/
lakini kwa malifa yake yeye alikatika bipande
mbili/ deux/ kisha yule muntu aliungana tena
amekuwa muzima tu/
2. na wazungu wa humu nabo balichoka na yule
bwana/ njo bakamuita bwana yule bwana Muyamba
Kazi/ na yeye alikuwaka bwana moja wa matata/ ni
pia naye ni muntu wa ulaya amekuwa mwenye malifa
kupita kweli/ akaomba kuona fulushi ya mipanga:
tena alianza kuimeza moja kwa moja: na kuyambayo
moja kwa moja/ tena akaomba sahani ya mayay ya
kuku: akaimeza yote: na akaiyamba yote tena
sahani tele/ njo mwenyewe aliwambia wandugu zake
ya kwamba: huyu muntu hana muntu wa kuwezakana/
na sisi tumufanye kitu hakuna hakuna/ yafaa
kumufunga tu buloko basi ya zééro tu/
3. kweli yule bwana akafungwa buloko ya zuji
miaka mingi/ yeye alikuwaka muntu wa dini tu/
alikuwa anafufula watu mu kufa kule kwao/ lakini
hapa hakufufula muntu hata moja: hama
hakugeuzaka muntu hata moja sawa vile alifanyaka
ku Thysville kule: na pia Léopoldville/
aliwageuzaka wazungu kipande mweusi: kipande
mweupe tu/ lakini hapa na Eville alikuwa mpaka
na malifa ya kugeuza mabuku/ njo ilizidisha
hapa/ Parquet alikuwa anamunyanganya mabuku
kuchoka tu yee mwenyewe/ na sisi ile mabuku ya
yule bwana tuliiona tu na macho yetu/ tena
Truly, they put [the muzzle of] a canon through
the hole in the crate. When this canon went off
the crate exploded completely. But Bwana Simon
was alive. By one of his miracles he had split
into two parts, after which this man got
together again and stayed alive.
2. And the Whites here got tired of this man. So
they called this person, Bwana Muyamba-Kazi
[roughly: Shit Specialist]. And this man, too,
was trouble. He was also from Europe and he
could work miracles beyond belief. He asked for
a bundle of bush knives and then he began to
swallow them, one after the other. And then he
shat them, one after the other. Then he asked
for a plate of chicken eggs. He swallowed all of
them and shat all of them and the plate was full
again. He himself told his brothers: Against
this man [Kimbangu] you cannot win. We cannot do
a thing to him, you must put him in prison for
life.
3. Truly, this man was locked up for many years
in the Court prison. [But] he was just a
religious man. There in their country he raised
the dead, but here he did not bring a single
person back to life, nor did he change a single
person, as he used to do there in Tinsiville
(Tinciville) [Thysville], and in Léopoldville
[where] he changed white people to be partly
black, partly white. But here in E/ville he only
had one miracle [which was] to change [multiply]
books. This got too much here. The Parquet would
take books away from him until it got tired. And
alikuwa muntu mupole tu/ tena mwili yake ni we have seen the books of this man with our own
mwenye ngozi mwewusi tu/ na mwili munene: tena eyes. Also he was a very gentle man. And his
mufupi ya kuenea/ yeye yule Simon Kibangiste/ na body had a very dark skin. His body was rather
njo yeye alitowa kisela ya kuweka pa maboma ile broad and short, he was, this Bwana Simon
mavipande vya machupa pa bibambashi/ Kibangiste. And it was he who gave [them] the
idea to put broken bottles on top of prison
walls.
4. tena walikuwa wanamuambia asema: toka yako: 4. Then they told him: Go away, your prison
wende: buloko yako imetimiza/ na yee alikuwa [term] is over. He asked them to [give back to
anawaomba ile buku yake ya kwanza/ na babo him] his first book. And they told him we cannot
balimuambia asema sisi hatuweze kukupa ile buku give you your old book. Go home. But then he
yako ile ya zamani hapana/ wende tu zako/ na yee refused to leave. So he died. Thus his relatives
pale hakutakaka kutoka kwenda: na vile came to carry away his body in the year 1959,
alikufaka/ na vile wanduku zake walikuya close [to the time] when we got our independence
kumubeba maiti mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent of the Congo. You all saw and heard this story
cinquante et neuf karibu sisi kupata uhuru wetu of Bwana Simon Kibangiste.
wa Congo/ mweye wote muliona na mulisikia hii
mambo ya bwana Simon Kibangiste/
5. tunakumbusha tena ya yule bwana François yule 5. We remind you again of this Bwana François,
balitundikaka mille neuf cent vingt deux/ ni the one they hanged in 1922.76 Where was the
fasi gani palikuwaka nyumba ya yule muzungu? ni house of that white man? It was where there is
pale peko sasa Roulage: ama mwenye kuleta kanuni now the Traffic [police], the one that makes the
ya njia pale karibu na nyumba ya masynagogue ya traffic rules, near the house of the Masinagong
wa mayaudi pale/ na yile kiwanja kile sasa beko [synagogue] of the Jews, the place where they
banalimapo mafleurs: matunda maua/ njo pale tu now grow flowers. That is where this white Bwana
palifiaka yule bwana muzungu/ pale Commissaire died. The commissaire was Bwana Maundrance at
alikuwa bwana Maundranse ku Kalukuluku Etoile/ Kalukuluku-Etoile. This is the story of Bwana
hiyi ni mambo ya bwana François/ na vile ndeke François, and how a white bird settled on his
mweupe alimuangukia pa kichwa chake/ kisha head after he was hanged. This bird had come
kutundikiwa: ndeke yule alitokaka mu bingu/ [15] from heaven.[15]
6. sasa mutaona fasi gani ilikuwaka ya kufikia 6. Now you are going to see the place where this
yule bwana Strong/ kwa mufano sawa tuliona bwana Bwana Strong arrived, the story of Bwana
De Jonge: Strong/ DEjongene Strong.77

X. KUFIKA KWA STRONG NI MWAKA WA 1928. FASI YAKE X. STRONG ARRIVED IN THE YEAR 1928. WHERE WAS
NI WAPI? NI PALE PEKO MAGASIN MUKUBWA YA B.C.K. HIS PLACE?
BUREAU MUKUBWA YA JUU ETAGE. IT WAS WHERE THE BIG WAREHOUSE OF THE BCK WAS,
THE BIG OFFICE BUILDING WITH MANY FLOORS.

kutoka pale amehamia wapi? Hôtel Léo II/ njo
pale palikuwaka fasi yake ya kufikia Strongmani/
alikuwaka na watembo: na kalulu: na wanyoka: na
wachui: na vingine vitu yake/ njo kule mulisikia
asema malinga ilicheza tembo/ ni kweli kalulu
njo alikuwaka anapika miziki: musique/ sasa
tembo anaanza kucheza yee moja tu/ na nyoka naye
iko anaitika filimbi/ na mutu kumuweka mu canon:
inalia: yule mutu anageuka kisasi: imetoka mu
canon/ na vile ataangukia pa buchafu ya mbao/ na
mwenye kubecha piki piki ku lukuta ya nyumba:
ama kibambashi/ mwenyee alikuwaka bwana Jacob/
Where did he move from there? [Near] the Hotel
Léo II, that was the place where the Strong-Mani
[Strongmen] arrived. He had elephants, and
rabbits, and snakes, and leopards, and other
things. That is where, as you heard, the
elephant danced the malinga [dance]. Truly,
there was a rabbit that made music, and then the
elephant began to dance all by himself. And the
snake obeyed a whistle. And they put a man into
a canon, it went off and this man changed into a
grenade which came from the canon and thus he
would fall onto sawdust. And there were those
who raced motor-bikes against the wall of a
chamber. The one who did this was Bwana Jacob.
XI. WALIWALI WA HAPA WOTE TU NI HABA BOTE TU.
(LES MONSIEURSLES GOUVERNEURS.)
1. sasa mutaona wabwana waliwali wa kwanza hapa
na Elisabethville/ bote bwingi yao tu tangu
wabeleji kupanua muji wa Eville/
wa kwanza/ bwana Dipeji/
wa pili/ bwana Tombert/
wa tatu/ bwana Mangala/
wa inne/ bwana Wangermain/
wa tano/ bwana Bureau/ alikuwaka na ndevu sana/
wa sita/ bwana Gaston Heenen: Mr Diffour et
Dipôt/
wa saba/ bwana Alphonse Maron/
wa munane/ bwana Caissele Fernand/
wa kenda/ bwana Zege ni Zengene/
ya kumu/ bwana Waucstou René/
wa kumi na moja/ bwana Mafuta Palingis wa Kasai/
wa kumi na mbili/ bwana André Chauler/
wa kumi na tatu/ bwana Président Tshombe Moïse/
wa kumi na inne/ bwana Président Edouard
Bulundwe: tena liwali wa kwanza/[16] [Pp. 16-17
of the original in facsimile, GIF - 166 KB] [Pp.
16-17 of the original in facsimile, JPEG - 253
KB]
wa kumi na tano/ bwana Godefroid Munongo: liwali
wa muisho leo hapa Katanga ya mashariki/ ni yeye
huyu bwana liwali wetu wa muisho kwetu/
XI. THESE ARE ALL THE GOVERNORS HERE [in
Elisabethville]
1. Now you will see the first Bwana Governors
here in Elisabethville [and] the whole lot of
them since the time the Belgians developed the
city of E/VILLE.78
1. Bwana Dipeji [Lippens].
2. Bwana Tombert [Tombeur].
3. Bwana Mangala [].
4. Bwana Wangermain [Wangermée].
5. Bwana Bureau, he had a mighty beard.
6. Bwana Gaston HEENENE [Heenen], Mr. Diffour
[Dufour] and
Dipôt [Dupont].
7. Bwana Alphonse Maron [Amour Maron].
8. Bwana Caissele [Keyser] Fernand.
9. Bwana ZENGE-NIZENGENE [Ziegler de Ziegleck].
10. Bwana WAUCSTOU Rénne [René Wauthion].
11. Bwana Mafuta Palingis [fat Paelinck], from
Kasai.
12. Bwana André Chaulér [Schöller].
13. Bwana President Tshombe Moïse.
14. Bwana President Edouard Bulundwe, also the
first Governor.[16] [Pp. 16-17 of the original
in facsimile, GIF - 166 KB] [Pp. 16-17 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 253 KB]
15. Bwana Godefroid Munongo, the last Governor.
Today, here in South Katanga, he is our last
Governor.
2. sasa mutaona mafasi tena muji huyu na wabwana 2. Now you are going to see the places in this
kamishedi wa kwanza hapa Katanga ya mashariki/
XII. WAKUMISHELI WOTE, NA FASI YOTE YABO YA
KWANZA TANGU KUHAMA PA KALUKULUKU (RUASHI
ETOILE).
1. wa kwanza/ bwana Commissaire wa kwanza: ni
bwana Maundrasi/
wa pili/ bwana Commissaire Carion: Commissaire
en Chef/
wa tatu/ bwana Commissaire Dibert: Commissaire
en Chef/
wa inne/ bwana Commissaire Dibert: Commissaire
en Chef/
wa tano/ bwana Commissaire Minair: Commissaire
en Chef/
wa sita/ bwana Commissaire Boucousé: sous
Commissaire/
wa saba/ bwana Commissaire Maçon: sous
Commissaire
hawa waCommissaires njo wenye walianzaka huyu
muji/
2. fasi ya kwanza ya bureau ya Commissariat ni
pale peko sasa Bâtiment: ama nyumba ya ngolofa
ya bwana Granant: Kamutshatsha/ pale njo fasi ya
pili kwa kutoka pale Kalukuluku/ palitokaka
city of the first Bwana Commissaires here in
East Katanga.
XII. ALL THE COMMISSAIRES AND THEIR FIRST PLACES
SINCE THEY MOVED FROM KALUKULUKU (RUASHI
ETOILE).
1. 1. The first Bwana Commissaire was Bwana
Maundrasi.
2. Bwana commissaire Carion, Commissaire en
chef.
3. Bwana Commissaire Dibert [Dubé], Commissaire
en chef.
4. Bwana Commissaire, Dibert, Commissaire en
chef.
5. Bwana Commissaire Minair[?], Commissaire en
chef.
6. Bwana Commissaire Boucousé [Xavier Boux]
souscommissaire.
7. Bwana Commissaire Maçon [Masson]
souscommissaire.79
Those are the Commissaires who made the
beginning in this city.
2. The first location of the office of the
commissariat was were there is now the Building,
or the multi-storied house, of Bwana Granant
[Granat] [called] Kamutshatsha.80 That was the
Kalukuluku maana gani? maana yule bwana second location after they left Kalukuluku. Why
Droogmans: Président Général du Comité Spécial did they leave Kalukuluku? The reason was that
njo yeye alipimaka muji wa Kalukuluku: Bwana Droogmans, President of the Comité
haimupendeze baweke muji mukubwa pale: sababu Spécial, tried Kalukuluku and it did not please
aliona kunakuwa karibu na mingoti ya U.M.H.K./ him that they should build a big city there.
njo kuleta mapu ya muji hapa na Lubumbashi/ Because he saw that this would be close to the
mines of the UMHK. So he planned the city here
in Lubumbashi.81
3. tena ile wakati: njo wakati bwana Wangermain 3. Also this was the time when Bwana Wangermain
kwa yeye kutoka Lukafu/ njo alikuyaka na [Wangermée] left Lukafu and came here with many
waaskari: soldats: wengi muno/ wale wasoldats soldiers. These soldiers also arrived in
wamefikia vile vile pale Kalukuluku/ sasa Kalukuluku. Now you are going to see: Where was
mutaona kamponi ama kambi yao: camp: ya kwanza the first compound or [military] camp? At the
ilikuwaka wapi? ni pale palikuwaka soko ya place where long ago the market for the Whites
wazungu zamani pale/ used to be.
wa kwanza/ kambi ya kwanza/ ni pale pa soko ya 1. The first camp, where the market for the
zamani ya wazungu: Avenue Limite du Sud/ pale Whites used to be on Avenue Limite du Sud. The
njo pa Camp ya wasoldats kwa kuwahamisha Lukafu camp of the soldiers was there after they had
kwiko bwana Liwali Wangermain/ been moved from Lukafu by Bwana Governor
ya pili/ ya pili ni pale iko sasa pale njo Camp Wangermain.82
Militaire ya pili/ 2. The second [camp] was where the second
ya tatu/ Passeport ilikuwaka wapi? ya kwanza ni military camp is now.
pale pa fasi ya Poste/ njo pilikuwaka Passeport/ 3. Where was the Passport [office]? The first
kutoka pale: njo kupeleka kule chini ku njanja one was where the Post Office is now, this used
ya B.C.K./ na bureau ya District paka kule/ to be the place of the Passport [office]. From
ya inne/ Parquet nayo ilikuwaka pale étage mu there they moved it down to the rails of the
Avenue Maniema/ kutoka pale njo mu Avenue BCK, and the office of the District
Tabora: Munongo: njo mwisho tu ya Parquet/[17] [commissioner] was [also] there.
4. The Parquet was in the two-storied house on
Avenue Manyema (Maniema) From there [it moved]
to Avenue Tabora (Munongo). That is where it
finally was.[17]
XIII. NYUMBA YA MUNGU MUKUBWA YAITWA KAMA XIII. WHICH WAS THE YEAR THE BIG CHURCH ALSO
CATEDRALE ST PAUL DE PAUL ILIYENGWA MWAKA GANI? CALLED THE CATHEDRAL OF ST PAUL DE PAUL [St.
1922. Pierre et Paul] WAS BUILT? 1922.

1. pale twaweza kumipasha habari ya kama mwaka 1. We can inform you that this year was the year
ile ni mwaka wa bwana mumpe Dédéc: na mumpe of Bwana Father Dédec, and Father Grégoire
Grégoire Innexsession dééom: na mumpe Oscar: na Innexiséssion dééom [in excelsis deo] and Father
mère Degard/ pale wale wote: mukubwa alikuwaka Oscal [Anschaire] and Mother Degard.83 The
mumpe Dédéc/ njo mwenyee alianza hiyi Mission ya superior of them all was Father Dédec, the
hapa na Lubumbashi bado kuwa Elisabethvile/ sawa founder of the mission here in Lubumbashi before
vile tulisema ku ukurasa wa nyuma ule/ ni it became Elisabethville. As we said in a
balabala Léopold: makutano na balabala Zambèze following [i.e. preceding] chapter, this was on
karibu na makawa ya bwana Liwali/ ile njo nyumba Léopold street where it is met by Zambezi
ya mwenyezi Mungu ya kwanza/ sasa iko masomo ya street, close to the Governor's residence. This
watoto: inaitwa kwa kama Ecole Familiale/ pale was the first house of God Almighty. Now it is a
njo nyumba ya kwanza ya Mungu/ school for children which is called something
like Ecole Familiale, that is where the first
church was.
2. pale sisi wa kazi ya domestiques tulikuwa 2. In those days we, who worked as domestics,
tunakata kuni ku Karavia/ maji kushota mu used to cut firewood at [the river] Karavia, and
mabegeti mbili yenye kuwekwa ku muti na we would fetch water from the Lubumbashi river,
misumari/ njo kukobekamo ya mabegeti mbili yale: two buckets hung on a pole with nails [sticking
moja mbele: na moja nyuma ku muto Lubumbashi/ out to keep the bucket from sliding off]--you
kisha kufika mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt would hang two buckets there, one in front, the
sept: njo bwana Hollemans njo kufanya matanki ya other behind. Finally came the year 1927. This
maji/ ya kwanza ilikuwaka karibu na Parquet/ is when Bwana HOllémas constructed the water
sasa pompi yenyewe njo kuitia mule mu mulango ya tanks. The first one was near the Parquet. The
bwana Sanua/ bado yule bwana Rodina hapana/ pale pumping station itself he put [near] the door
pa Rodina palikuwaka bwana Sanua wa biashara [house] of Bwana Sanwa [Sanua]. It was then not
vile vile/ kutoka yeye: njo bwana Rodina/ lakini yet Bwana Rodina's [place]. Where Rodina's is
ku benyee biashara mwenyee wa kwanza ni bwana now there used to be Bwana Sanwa's who was also
Glastonne: na bwana Straibe wa Pharmacie ya a trader. When he left there came Bwana Rodina,
wangeleza/ yeye ni pale peko sasa Socophar/ but among the traders the first one was Bwana
alafu pale peko sasa Cophaco: ni fasi ilikuwa Glastonne, and Bwana Straibe [Streber] of the
fasi ya Standard Banque ya mungeleza/ Pharmacy of the Englishmen. This was where
Socophar is now. But where there is now Cophaco
there used to be the place of Standard Bank of
the Englishmen.
3. na kisha bado kidogo njo bwana mukubwa wa 3. Not long after that the director of the
Banque du Congo Belge: njo kufika pale/ Banque du Congo Belge arrived there. He hired
alikamataka mutu wake wa kwanza ni bwana Ngoie his first [African] man: Bwana NGOIEE Léon. You
Léon/ sasa munamujua yule bwana: njo mwenyewe know now this Bwana today; he is the very person
kuanza kazi yake ya Banque du Congo Belge/ who began his work at the Banque du Congo
Belge.84
4. na kipande kidogo: njo tuliona bwana Louis: 4. Shortly thereafter, we saw Bwana Louis, the
muzungu wa Imbelco/ na yeye yule bwana alikuwa white man of Imbelco.85 And this Bwana was the
mwenye kuitisha magazeti kwabo: ama journaux: one who ordered newspapers or journals at home
kwabo na ulaya/ njo mwenyee alianza kazi ya in Europe. He began publishing the newspapers
magazeti Essor: na Essoir: na Pourquoi pas/ ESSOR and ESOIR [Le Soir] and Pourquoi pas. Then
kisha vile njo tukaona bwana Jean Decoste wa we saw Bwana Jean Decoste [Decoster] of the
journal Echo naye/ na muisho njo bwana Colequet/ newspaper Echo. And finally there was Bwana
tukamupa na jina ingine asema: Manyema/ na njo Colequet [Cloquet]. We gave him another name,
alifanya journal illustre mu avenue du Camp bado Manyema. He published the Journal Ilistre
avenue Chilchi Wiston pale pafasi ya Namutekesa/ [Illustré] on Avenue du Camp before it became
alikuwaka na boulangerie ya mikate pale/ Avenue Chilchi Wiston [Winston Churchill], the
place of Namutekesa who had a bakery there.86
5.tena mutaona wale wote walianzaka Eville fasi 5. Furthermore you are going to see all those
na fasi/ mutaona na Mine: na Namutekesa: njo who were the first in Eville, everyone in his
bale benye kwanza kazi ya mikate hapa na [18] place. You will see Mine [Minne] and Namutekesa
[Pp. 18-19 of the original in facsimile, GIF -
133 KB] [Pp. 18-19 of the original in facsimile, [Pp. 18-19 of the original in facsimile, GIF -
JPEG - 200 KB]
XIV. ELISABETHVILLE. PARQUET YA ELISABETHVILLE.
parquet ya Elisabethville ilikuwaka Avenue
Maniema karibu na munganga Kassar yule wa
B.C.K./ kisha pale njo kuhamia mu Tabora: sawa
vile tulisema/ sasa mutaangaria wale wamwamuzi
walikuwaka wanalinda ile Parquet/
wa kwanza/ Président Mr.Socquaine/
wa pili/ Président Mr. Driquise/
wa tatu/ Président Mr. Forte Maison/
wa inne/ Avocat Mr.Vroonene/
wa tano/ Avocat Mr.André Decrércks/
wa sita/ Avocat Mr. Gaissé/
wa saba/ Avocat Mr. Libesé/
wa munane/ Avocat Mr. Victor Malavant/
wa kenda/ Avocat Mr. Mousé/
wa kumi/ Juge Mr. Simite/
Na wengine wao tu wamingi/ haba njo walikuwa
wanachunga Parquet ya Elisabethville/
who were the first to make bread here in [18]
133 KB] [Pp. 18-19 of the original in facsimile,
JPEG - 200 KB]
XIV. ELISABETHVILLE. THE PARQUET OF
ELISABETHVILLE
The Parquet87 of Elisabethville was on Avenue
Maniama [Maniema], near Dr. Kassar [Cassart],
the one of BCK. Then it moved to [avenue] Tabora
as we have said. Now you will see the judges who
presided the Parquet.
1. President Mr. Soquaine (Socquaine) [Sooghen]
2. President Mr. Driquise [Derriks].
3. President Mr. Forte Maison [Fortemaison].
4. Lawyer Mr. Vroonene [Vroonen].
5. Lawyer Mr. André Derércks (Decréreks)
[?Declerckx]
6. Lawyer Mr. Gaissé [?De Castelbergh].
7. Lawyer Mr. Libesé [Rubbens].
8. Lawyer Mr. Victor Malavant.
9. Lawyer Mr. Mousé [?].
10. Judge Mr. Simite [Smith].88
And many others. Those were the ones who
presided over the Parquet of Elisabethville.
XV. WAKUBWA WA MADINI (RELIGIONS.)
wa kwanza/ Mumpe Dédéc/
wa pili/ Mumpe Grégoire/
wa tatu/ Mumpe Oscal/
wa inne/ Mumpe Jean Hemptinne Felixise/ yule ni
mutoto wa Mufalme Léopold II/
wa tano/ Bishop: Bishop: Njon Springer/
haba nabo njo bale tuliona mbele ya kuya
wazungu: wazungu: mu Katanga/
XVI. WABWANA MUKUBWA WA MASHILIKA (SOCIETES).
wa kwanza/ Directeur Mr. Tousé René/ U.M.H.K.:
Directeur Général/
wa pili/ Directeur Mr. Jean Jadot/ B.C.K.:
Directeur Général/
wa tatu/ Directeur Mr. Droocomas/ C.S.K.:
Directeur Général/
wa inne/ Directeur Mr. Godefoid/ C.S.K.:
Directeur Général/
wa tano/ Directeur Mr. Patis/ C.S.K.: Directeur
Général/
XV. THE LEADERS OF THE RELIGIONS.
1. Mupe [mon père] Dédec.89
2. Mupe Gregoire.
3. Mupe Oscal [Anschaire].
4. Mupe Jean Hemtine Felixise, this one was a
child of Léopold II.90
5. Bishop NJon Springer.91
Those are the ones we saw before the [other]
Whites arrived in Katanga [in great numbers].
XVI. THE PRESIDENTS OF THE COMPANIES
(SOCIETIES).92
1. Directeur Mr. TOuse [Toussaint] Rene
UMHK?Directeur Général.
2. Directeur Mr. Jean Jadot BCK-Directeur
Général.
3. Directeur Mr. Droocomas [Droogmans] CSK-
Directeur Général.
4. Directeur Mr. Godefoid [Godefroid] CSK-
Directeur Général.
5. Directeur Mr. Patis [?] CSK-Directeur
Général.
6. Directeur Mr. Vandward [Vandewalle] CSK-
wa sita/ Directeur Mr. Vandward/ C.S.K.:
Directeur Général/[19]
wa saba/ Directeur Mr. Whayou/ Trabeka:
Directeur Général/
wa munane/ Directeur Mr. Tembo/ Trabeka:
Directeur Général/
XVII. POSTE YA ZAMANI ILIKUWA WAPI? ANGARIENI
PALE PEKO MONUMENT FEMMES COLONIALES. NJO PALE
PA POSTE YA KWANZA HAPA NA EVILLE.
Banque du Congo Belge: ni mpaka mule mwiko
Banque Nationale mule/ nyumba ya munganga wa
kuangaria wenye magonjwa: ni pale karibu na Bar
Lusonga pale karibu beko banakamatia wale wa
virongozi wa magari mukanda ya kanuni ya njia:
Premier-Conduit/
XVIII. SOGELEC ET SOGEFOR NI FASI GANI? NI PALE
NGAMBO YA FINANCES NA PALE BAHAUSSA BANATANDIKA
VITU VYAOKARIBU NA SOCOPHAR.
Directeur Général. [19]
7. Directeur Mr. Whayeu [?] Trabeka-Directeur
Général.
8. Directeur Mr. Tembo [?] Trabeka-Directeur
Général.
XVII. WHERE WAS THE OLD POST OFFICE? SEE WHERE
THE MONUMENT TO COLONIAL WOMEN IS.93 THIS IS
WHERE THE FIRST POST OFFICE HERE IN E/VILLE USED
TO BE.
The Banque du Congo Belge was in the place where
the Banque Nationale is [now].94 The doctor's
house to take care of the sick was close to the
Bar Lusonga. Close to the place where you get
the driver's licence (Premier-Conduit).95
XVIII. SOGELEC AND SOGEFORS96 WHERE DID THEY USE
TO BE? THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE FINANCES
[finance department],WHERE THE HAUSSA97 SPREAD
THEIR THINGS, NEAR SOCOPHAR [pharmacy].
njo pale na sasa iko paka pale tu/ njo habari ya
muji Lubumbashi tulionaka sisi waboy/ tena sisi
tulisikiaka mambo mingi kwa watu wa ulaya:
hakukuwaka kitu walikuwa wametufichika sisi/
XIX. SASA NI KUSIKIA WENYE KUFANYA BIASHARA HAPA
NI WAZUNGU GANI KU MAKABILA YAO VILE WALIFIKA
HAPA PA KATANGA MUJI YA LUBUMBASHI HAPA NA
EVILLE.
wa kwanza/ Bwana Glastone/ ni: muzungu wamayaudi
mungeleza/
wa pili/ Bwana Robeni Sonne/ biashara wa
mungeleza mwenye haki/
wa tatu/ Bwana Mandevu Mupe/ biashara wamayaudi
wa pekee/
wa inne/ Bwana Sanua/ biashara wamayaudi wa
pekee/
wa tano/ Bwana Cailo Muke/ biashara wamayaudi wa
pekee/
wa sita/ Bwana Fernandese/ tailleur wa Espangora
wa pekee/
wa saba/ Bwana Martine/ tailleur wa Espangora wa
pekee/[20] [Pp. 20-21 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 124 KB] [Pp. 20-21 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 285 KB]
wa munane/ Bwana Mulopwe Mukalamba/ biashara
This is were they are now.98 Such is the story of
the city of Lubumbashi as we, the boys, saw it.
Also, we heard many things from the people from
Europe. There wasn't a thing they could hide
from us.
XIX. NOW LISTEN TO THOSE WHO WERE IN BUSINESS
HERE. WHO WERE THE WHITES, WHAT GROUPS DID THEY
BELONG TO, AS THEY ARRIVED HERE IN KATANGA, IN
THE TOWN OF LUBUMBASHI, HERE IN E/VILLE?
1. Bwana Glasstone, he was a white man, an
English Jew.
2. Bwana Robeni Sonne [Robinson], trading, an
Englishman, a man of justice.
3. Bwana Mandevu, Mupe [the bearded, the
missionary], trading, a Jew working on his own.
4. Bwana [R.] Sanua, trading, a Jew working on
his own.
5. Bwana Cailo Muke [Kailo moké99], trading, a
Jew working on his own.
6. Bwana Fernand-ese [Fernandes], tailor, a
Spaniard working on his own.
7. Bwana Martine [Martins], tailor, and
Englishman working on his own.[20] [Pp. 20-21 of
the original in facsimile, GIF - 124 KB] [Pp.
20-21 of the original in facsimile, JPEG - 285
KB]
mukubwa wa manguo na viatu na vyote/ yeye ni
muyaduli wa wangeleza/ njo kule alizalikia
kizazi chake/
wa kenda/ Bwana Franco/ muyaudi wa pekee/
biashara wa manguo na vitu yote ya biashara/
wa kumi/ Bwana Mandala/ nayee muyaudi/ biashara
wa manguwo na vitu yote ya biashara/
wa kumi na moja/ Bwana Mactshoukis/ mukidiki/
biashara ya manguo na vitu yote ya biashara/
wa kumi na mbili/ Mama na Gabriel/ muyaudi/
biashara wa manguo na vitu yoyote ya biashara wa
pekee tu/
wa kumu na tatu/ Mama Natshimètre/ muyaudi/
biashara wa manguo na vitu yote ya biashara wa
pekee/
wa kumi na inne/ wachinoirs walikuwaka humu: Na
wagroucas wengi sana ile wakati/
wa kumo na tano/ Bwana Fimbo wa bagoa: Indien/
biashara wa makalanga na bimburutu: Pistoles/
8. Bwana Mulopwe Mukalamba100, trading, a big
[trader] in clothes, shoes, and everything, an
English Jew, this is where he had his family.
9. Bwana FRaco [Franco], a Jew working on his
own, trading in clothes and [running a] general
store.
10. Bwana Mandala [Matras], a Jew, trading in
clothes and [running a] general store.
11. Bwana Matshoukis, a Greek, trading in
clothes and [running a] general store.
12. Mama [the mother of] Gabriel, a Jew, trading
in clothes and [running a] general store,
working on her own.
13. Mama Natshimêtre [na kimètre101], a Jew,
trading and [running a] general, working on her
own.
14. There were Chinese here, and many Groucas
[Ghurkas?] at that time.
15. Bwana FImbo [stick] an Indian from Goa,
trading in peanuts and bread rolls.102

XX. BOULANGERIES CHAPU YA MIKATE. XX. BAKERIES, BREADSHOPS

wa kwanza/ Bwana Minne: Belge/ 1. BWANA MINNE, BELGIAN

wa pili/ Bwana Namutekesa: Grèce/ 2. Bwana Namutekese, Greece.
wa tatu/ Bwana Tonnane: Grèce/ 3. Bwana Tonnane, Greece [?]
wa inne/ Bwana Luxe: Grèce/ 4. Bwana Luxe, Greece.
wa tano/ Bwana Robiogrio: Italien/ 5. Bwana Robriogrio [Robrioglio], Italian.
pale mukate ulikuwaka francs 3, 5, 6, 8, 16: njo In those days bread was 3, 5, 6, 8, 16 francs,
muisho/ no more.

XXI. Boucheries Manyumba ya NYAMA. XXI. Butchers, abattoirs.

Smith wangombe/ (Smith the cattleman.

wa pili/ Kamutshatsha Granant/ 2. Kamutsha-tsha Granant [Granat].

XXII. CHARCUTERIES. XXII. CHARCOUTRIEURS [Charcutiers].

wa tatu/ Mr. Asinonck/ 3. Mr Asinok [Asnong]

wa inne/ Elakat wangombe/ njo alikombola bwana 4. ELEKAT WANGOMBE [Elakat cattle ranch]103 which
Smith wangombe/ followed Bwana
Smith the cattleman.

XXIII. BIASHARA YA BYAKULA. XXIII. FOOD STORES.

wa kwanza/ Interfina Cofina/ 1. Interfina Cofina.104

wa pili/ Sedec Compagne Concession/ 2. Sedec Compagne [Compagnie] Concession.
wa tatu/ Conperative biashara ya Bulamatadi/ 3. Government Cooperative Shop.
wa inne/ Bwana Salomon wa mayaudi wa peke/ 4. Bwana Solomon, a Jew working on his own.

XXIV. VINYWAJI VYA POMBE YA BIERE SIMBA. XXIV. BEVERAGES OF BEER, OF SIMBA BEER.

wa tano/ Bwana Brasseries du Katanga/ Limonade: 5. BWANA Brasserier [brasserie] du Katanga,

l'eau gazeuse/ lemonade and soda
wa sita/ Laiterie Comité Spécial du Katanga/[21] water.105
6. Dairy, Comité Spécial du Katanga.[21]

XXV. SPORTIVES. XXV. SPORTS CLUBS.

wa kwanza/ Prince Léopold III/ 1. Prince Léopold III.

wa pili/ Prince Charles/
wa tatu/ Vaticano/
awa ni washindaji wa kabumbu ya hapa petu
Katanga ya mashariki/ njo wenyewe wameanza mambo
ya kabumbu hapa muji mukubwa wa shaba/ wamekuwa
wameshindana na wengine wa pale mingoti ya
Rhodésie du Nord na ya du Sud/ muangarie majeshi
yenyewe ni hiyo/
ya kwanza/ ya kwanza ku beupe ni ba King bulayi:
njo balikuwa wanashindana na équipe Rambles
2. Prince Charles.
3. Vaticano.
Those are the soccer clubs here in our country
of South Katanga106, they are the ones who
started soccer here in copper capital city and
they played against other[clubs] from the mines
in Northern and Southern Rhodesia. Look, these
are the teams:
1. The first one, on the side of the Whites, was
the KING-BULAYI [Bulawayo Kings], they played
Panda: na équipe Eville/
ya pili/ Broocken Hil/
ya tatu/ Ndola/
ya inne/ Roone Entrope: Lwashi Mayini/
ya tano/ Mufulira Mayini/
ya sita/ Changa Mayini/
ya saba/ Sainport de Lwanda/
XXVI. WAZUNGU WA KUKONGOLA WATU KIPALO PALE
BWANA ROBERT WILLIAMS NA U.M.H.K. HABA WABWANA.
wa kwanza/ Bwana Colaille: Italien: mutaliana/
wa pili/ Bwana Poto-Poto " "
wa tatu/ Bwana Mercatine " "
wa inne/ Bwana Bulanda-Verre " "
wa tano/ Bwana Mec " "
wa sita/ Bwana Whichem: mungeleza/
hawa wabwana njo nguzo ya Katanga benyee
balifanyaka nguvu/
against the Rambles Panda [Panda Ramblers], and
the team from E/ville.
2. Broken Hill.
3. NDola
4. Roone Entrope Lwashi Mayini [Roan Antelope
Luasha Mine].
5. Mufulira Mayini [Mufulira Mine].
6. Changa Mayini [Changa Mine].
7. Sainport-de Lwanda [St. Paul de Loanda]
XXVI. WHITES WHO WERE RECRUITERS107 OF PEOPLE.
THERE WAS BWANA ROBATH WILIAMS AND UMHK. THOSE
WERE THE BWANAS.
1. Bwana Collaille, an Italian.
2. Bwana Poto-Poto, and Italian.
3. Bwana Mercantine [Mercantile Africaine], an
Italian.
4. Bwana Bulanda-Verre, an Italian.
5. Bwana Mec ["Meki"], an Italian.
6. Bwana Whichem [Pitchen], an Englishman.
Those Bwanas were the foundations of Katanga,
they worked very hard.
XXVII. MISSIONS YA BATU KWA MUMPE, NA SPRINGER
MWAKA GANI? KWA KUVUMA NI MWAKA WA 1924.
1. wa mille neuf cent vingt huit: njo penyewe
missions kuvuma/ pale walimu wamekuwaka paka
kidogo tu/ wa kwanza ni bwana Jules wa kabila ya
Babemba: na marehemu Benoît Kayokolo/ njo wa[22]
[Pp. 22-23 of the original in facsimile, GIF -
163 KB] [Pp. 22-23 of the original in facsimile,
JPEG - 243 KB] lianzaka mission ya Mumpe
Grégoire pale pa fasi yaitwa kama Sacré Coeur/
2. kufika mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt cinq:
bwana Prince Léopold III amefika hapa na
Elisabethville/ akabarikia nyumba ya
hospitalini: Hôpital Prince Léopold III/ ni
mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt cinq/ akabarikia
tena ile bulalo: bulalo ya Lubumbashi/ na
akabarikia tena mungoti ya Kipushi: akaipa jina
lake yeye mwenyewe/ tena na vile ameenda kwabo
na ulaya/
3. kufika mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt huit
njo babaye Mufalme ama Roi Albert wa kwanza na
muke wake mama Marikiane Elisabeth bakafika hapa
na Congo pia na mu Katanga na muji wa
Jadotville/ naye akajenga jiwe ya kwanza pa
nyumba ya Mission ya Prostate: Protestante/
kuisha pale: njo kwenda kujenga jiwe ya nyumba
ya Mission St. Boniface/ na vile yeye amerudi
XXVII. WHICH WAS THE YEAR [they started] THE
MISSIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH THE FATHERS
AND WITH SPRINGER? THEY BECAME KNOWN IN THE YEAR
1924.
1. It was in 1928108 when the missions [really]
became known. At that time there were very few
teachers. The first one was Bwana Julis [Julius]
of the Bemba tribe, and the late Benoît
Kayokolo. They [22] [Pp. 22-23 of the original
in facsimile, GIF - 163 KB] [Pp. 22-23 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 243 KB] started
the mission of Father Gregoire, at the place
that is called Sacre Coeur.109
2. When the year 1925 came Bwana Prince Léopold
III arrived here in Elisabethville. He
inaugurated the Hospital (Hospital Prince
Léopold III), also in 1925 the bridge over the
Lubumbashi river, and Kipushi mine. He himself
gave it his name. Then he went back to Europe.
3. When the year 1928 came, his father, KING
Albert the First and his wife Queen Elisabeth
arrived here in the Congo, and in Katanga, in
the city of Jadotville. And they laid the first
stone for the home of the Protestant mission.
When he was done there he went to lay the first
stone of St. Boniface mission. Then he went home
with his wife Queen Elisabeth. The bridge over
kwake na muke wake Marikiane Elisabeth/ pale the Kafubu they had finished building since the
bulalo ya Kafubu imekwisha yenga tangu mwaka wa year 1921. That was the year when the bridge
mille neuf cent vingt et un/ njo mwaka iliyengwa over the Kafubu was built (1921).
ile bulalo ya Kafubu: mille neuf cent vingt et
un/

XXVIII. MACHAPU YA MIOTOKA ILIKUWAKA NGAPI? XXVIII. HOW MANY GARAGES WERE THERE? IN THOSE
MACHAPU YA MIOTOKA ILIKUWAKA PALE MBILI TU. DAYS THERE WERE ONLY TWO GARAGES.

ya kwanza/ ya kwanza ni chapu ya bwana Congo
Motor/
akatosha tubila ya miotoka ni hii: ya kwanza ni
motoka Buick/
ya pili/ ya pili kabila ya motoka ni hii: ya
pili ni Motoka Chevrolet/
zéro/ ya pili chapu ni ya yule bwana la Sima/
naye motoka yake ni Renault/
1. The first one was: the workshop of Bwana
Congo Motor. The makes of cars he furnished were
these: the first one was Buinck [Buick].
2. The second kind of car was Chevrole[t].
0. The second workshop belonged to Bwana Lasima
[Sima] and their car was Reneau [Renault].

XXIX. MACHAPU YA MANKINGA NI NGAPI PALE? MACHAPU XXIX. HOW MANY BICYCLE REPAIR SHOPS WERE THERE?
YA MAKINGA ILIKUWAKA TATU. THERE WERE THREE BICYCLE REPAIR SHOPS.

ya kwanza/ Vanhuare: Mache/ ya pili ni bwana 1. Vanhuare (Mache) [van Hauwaert, Mathieu], the
Boker: Marcer Bouize/ wote walikuwaka Avenue ex second Bwana Boker [Bouker], [and] Marcer-Bouize
Kasai: njo mule walikuwaka/ alafu kinga ya BAS
ni ya chapu ya la Sima/
XXX. CRISE AMA LAKILISE ILIFIKAKA MWAKA GANI?
CRISE AMA LAKILISE ILIFIKAKA MWAKA 1928.
mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt huit: njo
tulionaka crise ikafika hapa na Katanga/ kweli
watu wote walisumbuka sana na njaa/ kazi hakuna:
bulofa bulipita sana sana/ tulikuwa tunafanya
kama mutu moja ipo pa kazi: njo kusema yule mutu
anakuwa baba na mama wa bale bote benzake/
banakuya kula kwake: kuvala kwake/ kwa kwenda ku
malinga kucheza ilikuwa hadisi kubwa kwetu/ sisi
tulichungana sana sana pasipo kuwa kuchagula
uchaguzi wa makabila/ tena watu wa Katanga
walikuwa wenye kupokelea watu sana sana/
hawakuwaka na roho mbaya hapana/[23]
XXXI. VYAMA VYA KWANZA NI VYAMA GANI? AMA LES
ASSOCIATIONS TRIBALES.
[Marcel Beuse]. All of them were on Avenue ex-
Kasai, that's where they were. But the Bies
[BSA] bikes came from the Sima garage.
XXX. WHEN DID THE CRISIS COME? THE CRISIS CAME
IN THE YEAR 1928.
In the year 1928 we saw the crisis [depression]
arrive here in Katanga.110 Truly, everyone
suffered a lot from hunger. There was no work.
Unemployment111 grew beyond belief. This is what
we did: When there was one man who had work,
this man was the father and mother of all his
friends. They came to eat at his place and to
clothe themselves. The big thing with us was to
go to the malinga dance. We really took care of
each other without distinction of tribe. Also
the people of Katanga were very hospitable; they
did not have a bad spirit.[23]
XXXI.WHICH WERE THE FIRST ASSOCIATIONS (TRIBAL
ASSOCIATIONS)?
ya kwanza/ ya kwanza tulikuwaka na Société
Belge/ njo Société ya kwanza: humu mu Katanga/
ilianzaka na mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt
deux: ikamalizika mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent
vingt sept/ Président alikuwaka Mushitu Henri
Prince wa Balunda/
ya pili/ Shikutu Lwango/ njo ilikombola jina ya
Société Lulua/ ile ni ya Balunda: walikuwaka na
ile Société Lulua/ District de Lulua/ sasa ni
District Lualaba/
ya tatu/ L'Association Tanganika Moëro/
ilikuwaka ya watu wa Manyema na Kindu/
ya inne/ L'Association Sikutu Bruxelles ile ya
Baluba ba Kiambi na Kabalo na Kikondja na
Mulongo/ nabo njo Association yabo ile ya
District Maniema sasa Albertville/
ya tano/ L'association Franco Belge/ ilikuwa ya
sisi watu wote wa kila colonial/ kwa mufano watu
wa Angleterre: Angleterre: France: Belge/ njo
bale balikuwaka wa Franco Belge/ Président:
Musitafa/ hii malinga tulikuwa tunacheza sisi
waboy wa makabila yote tu pasipo uchaguzi wa
makabila/ hakukuwakako ile mambo/
1. First we had the Socheté [Société] Belge.
That was the first society here in Katanga. It
began in the year 1922 and ended in the year
1927. President was Mushitu Henri, Prince of the
Lunda.
2. Shikutu Lwango was the name which replaced
that of the Socheté [Société] Lulua. This was
the association of the Lunda which belonged to
the Lulua society of Lulua district, now Lualaba
district.
3. L'Association Tanganika Moëro was the one for
the people from Maniema and from Kindu.
4. L'Association Sikutu Bruxelles, this one was
for the Baluba of Kiyambe [Kiambi], Kabalo,
Kikonja [Kikondja], and Mulongo. And then they
had an association for the Maniema district, now
Albertville.
5. L'Association Flanco [Franco] Belge was for
all of us colonials, for example the people from
England, France, Belgium -- they made the
[Association] Franco-Belge. President was
Musitafa.112 We, the boys from every tribe, used
to do these malinga dances, without distinction
of tribe. This problem[of tribalism] did not
exist.113
XXXII. WHO WERE THE FIRST BLACK TRADERS? THESE
WERE THE MEN AND THEIR NAMES.
XXXII. WABIASHARA WEWUSI WALIANZA NA WANANI?
WALIKUWAKA NI MABWANA AMA MAJINA YAO NI HAWA
WABWANA.

wa kwanza/ Bwana Kibwe Léonard/ alikuwaka na 1. Bwana Kibwe Léonard114, he was a trader in
biashara ya kuuzisha samaki ya makuki/ ilikuwa Tilapia fish,
inaitwa asema kalulu/ soko ya watu ingali pale the one that is called kalulu [the rabbit]. The
peko manyumba ya wakarani mu commerçant na African market was then where the clerks had
Whuinchica/ ilikuwaka komponi na cité: mule beko their houses, called "at the traders"115; and the
bapolicier/ na Whuinchica ilikuwa ile kipande ya compound Whuinchica and the cité [camp] of the
bwana Matunga Léon na bwana Njuliase/ njo fasi police. Whuinchica116 was in the place where
ya Whuinchica/ na wakajenga komponi ingine: Bwana Matunga Léon117 lived, and Bwana
ilikuwa inaitwa asema Bikopo: ama Kisasa/ Njuliase118, that was the place of Whuinchica.
wa pili/ Bwana Pascal: mutu wa Congo Français/ And they built another compound which was called
wa tatu/ Bwana Tayimo: Mubemba wa hapa Katanga/ Bikopo or Kisasa.119
ni Mulamba tena vile vile/ 2. Bwana Pascal, a man from French Congo.120
wa inne/ Bwana marehemu Augustin Ilingio wa bar 3. BWANA Tayimo, a Bemba here from Katanga, or a
Mangala/ alikuwaka soldat/ Lamba, which is the same.121
wa tano/ Bwana Fimbo Mugoa/ njo mwenyewe wa 4. The late BWANA Ilingi122 who owned the Bar
kuanza kufanya biashara yake/ na vile wanakuwa Mangala. He used to be a soldier.
wengi/ 5. Bwana Fimbo Mukowa. He himself started his
business. And then there were many [others from
Tailleur wa kwanza Tshikasa Thomas.[24] [Pp. 24- his group].123
25 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 185 KB]
[Pp. 24-25 of the original in facsimile, JPEG - The first tailor was Tshikasa Thomas.124[24] [Pp.
270 KB] 24-25 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 185
KB] [Pp. 24-25 of the original in facsimile,
JPEG - 270 KB]
XXXIII. CAMP MILITAIRE MUKUBWA GANI ALIKUWAKAMO? XXXIII. WHICH WAS THE BIG MILITARY CAMP HERE?
KWA WAZUNGU NI: MASSAR NA BWANA PEPEL. MUTU
MWEUSI.
ya kwanza: Bwana Massar/ njo kule kulitoka jina
ya Camp Massar/ njo alikuwaka Commandant
Bataillon ya Camp Massar/ na pia yule bwana
Pepel akamufwata kutangulia soldats mweusi na
Alphonse Kasuku na yule bwana marehemu Augustin
Ilingio/
XXXIV. MARON ALPHONSE GOUVERNEUR WA KATANGA KWA
KUUAUA WATU YA U.M.H.K.1941/2/ LE 5/2/1941.
1. mwenye alikuwaka kusikilizana yule bwana
Maron Alphonse yule: ni infirmier: munganga: wa
U.M.H.K/ alikuwaka Kabinda/ njo alikuwa
anasikilizana na bwana Maron/ naye jina lake
alikuwaka Alphonse/ njo Maron akashirika:
anamupika mastol: pale pale: amekufa tu lote/
njo soldats kufungula moto ya masasi/ njo tena
mwaka wa vita ya mille neuf cent quarante à
mille neuf cent quarante cinq/
FOR THE WHITES IT WAS [camp] MASSAR [Massart]
AND BWANA PEPEL [Pée] [for] THE BLACK MAN.
1. BWANA MASSAR [Massart], he is the one the
came Camp Massar came from. He was commander of
the battalion at Camp Massar. Then there was
this Bwana Peper [Pée] who followed him as
commander of the black soldiers, together with
Alpho[n]se Kasuku and the late Bwana Augustin
Ilingi [Ilingio].
XXXIV. MARON ALPHONSE GOVERNOR OF KATANGA. WHEN
HE MASSACRED THE PEOPLE OF THE UMHK, 5/2/1941.
1. There was a male nurse at the UMHK who had a
good understanding with Bwana Maron Alphonse. He
was a Kabinda. He had an understanding with
Bwana Maron, and his name, too, was Alphonse.
Then Maron got angry and shot him with a pistol.
He died on the spot. That is when the soldiers
began to fire [their] guns. It was a year during
the war of 1940 to 1945.
2. balikufaka watu wengi sana/ balifia franga ya
kubawekeako ku mwezi/ siku ile muji wa Eville
walikuwaka na kilio kubwa kwa yule bwana Liwali:
Gouverneur: bwana Alphonse Maron/ yeye naye
alipatikana ku muji wa bafrances/ naye njo kule
alifiaka mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent quarante
sept: mu mwezi wa onze Novembre/ hii ni habari
ya watu wa U.M.H.K. waliwauaua/
XXXV. KUFIKA KWA WAJENGAJI WA MUMBUNDA YA
U.M.H.K. NI MWAKA GANI? NI MWAKA WA 1937 à 1938. CHIMNEY OF UMHK ARRIVED? THE YEAR OF 1937 TO
1. mwaka ule tuliona wazungu walitoka bulaya/
walikuwaka inne wenye kuchaguliwa kwabo ulaya/
tena walikuwaka wenye majee sana wenye kufunda
elimu ya mayengo: ama majengo/ wa kwanza
alikuwaka kabila ya
ya kwanza/ Alemagne/ yeye yule njo alikuwaka
ingénieur wa kujenga majengo ya muviringo yenye
kuzunguka sawa vile munajionea wenyewe ku yule
mumbunda ya U.M.H.K. ku Lubumbashi ile/
wa pili/ Italien/ yeye alikuwa ingénieur wa
kujenga naye: mwenye kufunda kwabo/
wa tatu/ France/ naye alifundaka buingénieur ya
kupeleka mumbunda juu kabisa/
ya inne/ Flamand/ naye alikuwaka ingénieur wa
kufunda majengo ya kila namna/
2. Many, many people died. They died for higher
monthly wages. That day there was much mourning
among the people of E/ville because of this
Bwana Governor, Bwana Alphonse Maron. And fate
caught up with him in a French city which is
where he arrived on November 11 in the year
1947. This is the story of the massacer of the
people of UMHK.125
XXXV. WHICH WAS THE YEAR THE BUILDERS OF THE
1938.126
1. In that year we saw Whites who came from
Europe. There were four whom they had chosen at
home in Europe. They were very clever and had
studied the art of building. The first one was
of the nation of
1. Germany. He was an engineer who was a
specialist of circular
masonry, the on that turns, as you yourself can
see it on the chimney of the UMHK at Lubumbashi.
2. An Italian. He also wa a civil engineer who
had studied at home to bring the chimney up to
great heights.
3. A Frenchman. He also studied engineering
[especially] how to build up the chimney to
great heights.
 4. A Fleming. He too was an engineer who had
studied all sorts of building.
2. wote inne walikuwaka tena wachezaji wa 2. All four of them played soccer, each in his
kabumbu/ kila mutu ku jesi lake/ na walifikaka own team. And they arrived here in E/ville and
hapa na Eville: wakawapa fasi ya kulala mu Hôtel were housed in the Hotel Stafu-Messe [staff
Stafu Messe ya U.M.H.K. Lubumbashi/ tena siku ya mess] of the UMHK Lubumbashi. And on the day
kucheza: wale wabwana footbal walikwendaka they played football these gentlemen went to the
kuichezea ku kiwanja ya Panda/ moja wawo soccer field at Panda and one of them broke[25]
alivunjika[25] mukulu wake/ wakabaki a leg. Only three engineers were left. The one
waingénieurs tatu tu/ tena mwenye alivunjikaka to break his leg was the one from Germany.
mukulu: alikuwaka yule mwa Allemagne/
3. tena na siku ile waliisha kujenga ile 3. So, in these days they finished building the
mumbunda: kulikufaka tena Ingénieur moja wa chimney. Then another engineer, the one of
kabila ya waflamand/ ama watu walikuwa wanawaita Flemish origin, died. The people used to call
asema Zeki mwana boy/ kuisha kujenga waliachia him Zeki mwana boy127. When they finished
mumbunda pa bulefu ya pata jumla ya kitarifu ya building they left the chimney at a height of
mia moja na makumi sita: cent soixante about one hundred and sixty (160 Kms)128. All of
kilomètres/ pa bulefu tena walitaka kupenta: that they wanted to paint, white on the upper
rangi mweupe juu ya mumbunda: rangi nyeusi chini part of the chimney, and black on the lower part
ya mumbunda/ alakini waalemagne: na wafrance: na of the chimney. But the Germans, the Frenchmen,
waitalien wakakataa asema inafaa rangi mweupe and the Italians refused, saying that the white
iende chini/ alafu rangi mweusi iende juu/ color had to be at the bottom whereas the black
sababu njo wenyewe inchi/ ni kweli walipenta color should be for the upper part because they
rangi mweusi juu: na wakapenta rangi mweupe [the blacks] own the country. Truly, they
chini ya mumbunda sawa vile munaona/ tena ile painted the upper part black and they painted
mumbunda haikuishaka kweli/ wakaiyenga tena mara the lower part of the chimney white, just as you
ingine/ na kuisha pale ilibakiaka/ hii ni mambo see it [now]. Furthermore, this chimney was not
ya mumbunda tunaeleza/ really finished [then]. They built again and
finished it from where it had been left. This is
the story we tell you about the chimney.
XXXVI. KWA KUJENGA AMA KUFUNGA BARRAGE YA
MWADINGUSHA NI MWAKA GANI? 1928.
1. mwaka wa makumi mbili na munane/ kwa kifupi
njo mwaka ule/ ule mwaka alifikaka Mufalme
Albert wa kwanza na muke wake Marikiana: sawa
vile tulisema ku ukurasa wa mbele/ siku ile na
Mwandingusha ametia barrage/ na alikuwa
ingénieur wa bafrance: njo alifunga ile
Mwadingusha/ na tukaona koti ya byuma: ama
shaba/ njo mule yule muzungu alivaa: na kuingia
chini ya mungoti kumufwata mpumina/ yule
banasemaka kwiko bazungu asema saumon du
Mwadingusha/ yeye yule mufrance aliingia ndani
ya mungoti: na akaacha lukamba ya bulefu yapata
dix mille/ na kule ku lukamba balifungiako
kalamu na kartasi na akawaambia wazungu wa
Trabeka ya kwamba mimi naenda chini ya mungoti/
yafaa mweye hii lukamba mimi naacha mimi
nitapika kengele hii/ na mweye mutanitumia hiyi
lukamba na kalamu: na kartasi: njo kule mimi
nitafwatula yule Mpumina/
2. bwana yule alikwendaka mu saa ya sept heures
ya asubui: na akapika nkengele mu saa ya saa
nane: deux heures ya mangaribi/ na yule bwana
alimufwatulaka yule Mpumina/ na akamufwatula tu
mwili wake: lakini kichwa chake alishinda
kukiona: na mukila yake vile vile/ na tena
akamuambia yule Mpumina asema inafaa toka hapa
XXXVI. WHICH WAS THE YEAR THEY BUILT OR CLOSED
THE DAM AT MWADINGUSHA? 1928.
1. To make it short, the year twenty eight was
the year when this Bwana King Albert the First
and his wife the Queen arrived, as we said in an
earlier chapter. In those days a French engineer
constructed the dam at Mwadingusha.129 He closed
[the dam] at Mwadingusha. And we saw a suit of
iron (or copper) which this white man put on to
get down into the pit to go after Mpumina130, the
one the Whites used to call Somon [saumon] du
Mwadingusha. This Frenchman went down into the
pit and left a rope behind, about 10 000 [?]
long. And to this rope they attached a pen and a
sheet of paper, and he told the Whites of
Trabeka, I am going down to the bottom of the
pit. You must [watch] the rope I left you. I am
going to ring this bell, then you let down the
rope with the pen and the piece of paper. I am
going to draw this Mpumina.
2. This Bwana left at 7 o'clock in the morning
and rang the bell on the eighth hour, at two
o'clock in the afternoon. And this Bwana went on
drawing Mpumina. He only drew its body, but he
could not get to see its head, nor its tail.
Then he told Mpumina: You must get away here
from Mwadingusha, go to Lupweji, we want to
Mwadingusha: wende ku Lupweji/ sisi tunataka
kukamata moto ya kuleta mu vyapu yetu sisi/ naye
ku upande wake aliwambia ya kwamba mimi siwezi
kutoka/ sasa mimi nachoka na kuha[26] [Pp. 26-27
of the original in facsimile, GIF - 177 KB] [Pp.
26-27 of the original in facsimile, JPEG - 265
KB] mahama/ sikieni: nilikuyaka kwanza mu
Kalukuluku: munanihamisha/ sasa nakwenda
Kipushi: munanihamisha/ nakwenda mu kilima ya
Panda: munanihamisha/ sasa nakwenda mu kilima ya
Kakontwe: na munanihamisha/ sasa nipo hapa na
Mwadingusha/ tena asema hama tena hapa/ lakini
mimi siwezi nihame hapa/ tena kama mweye
munataka mimi kuhama hapa: yafaa kuleta watu
weupe tu elfu kumi wabwana: na kumi wabibi zenu:
na watoto wenu/ sasa mimi nachoka na kunitolea
watu mweusi pasipo kuwa sababu/
3. hii ni mambo ilitokaka mu barrage ya
Mwadingusha/ tena alikanusha sana sana asema
siweze nikamuone bwana mumpe na jerani wake
bwana mushauri wa sheria: rafiki yake zuji/ ile
alikatala sana sana tu/ hii ni mambo ile tuliona
mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent vingt huit kwa
kufika Mufalme Albert wa kwanza na Marikiane
wake mama Elisabeth/ tena kwa kufunga
Mwadingusha samaki ilikufa tabani/ ingalikuwa
mwaka huyu: kama watu walipataka feza tabani/
alufu ya samaki ilipanda na mbingu/
catch the current and send it to our factories.
[Mpumina] told him: I cannot leave this place. I
am tired of moving[26] [Pp. 26-27 of the
original in facsimile, GIF - 177 KB] [Pp. 26-27
of the original in facsimile, JPEG - 265 KB]
around. Listen, I was first in Kalukuluku, you
made me move. I went to Kipushi, you made me
move. I went to the mountain of Panda, you made
me move. Then I went to the mountain of
Kako[n]twe, you made me move. Now I am here at
Mwadingusha and again [I am told] that I cannot
[stay] and should move. But I cannot move from
here. If you want me to move again from here you
have to bring ten thousand white men and 10
[?thousand] of your wives and your children.
Right now I am tired of being offered black
people without a reason.
3. This is what happened at the dam of
Mwadingusha.
Furthermore, [Mpumina] insisted very much,
saying I don't want to see a missionary, nor his
neighbor, the lawyer (the judge's friend). That
[Mpumina] strictly refused. This is the story as
we saw it in 1928 when King Albert the First
arrived and his Queen Mama Elisabeth. Also, when
they closed [the dam at] Mwadingusha fish died
in masses. If this were to happen today, people
would get much money [for so much fish]. And the
stench of fish rose to heaven.
XXXVII. VITA YA BAETIOPIE NA WATADIANA
(ITALIEN), 1930.
kweli waEtiopie walipigana vita na wamataliana
juu ya fujo ya wazungu/ wakapigana vita ya
kweli/ mwenye aliwaweza wale watu ni France/ njo
aliwaweza/ tena pale sisi wazungu wa wabeleji
walituchukia asema sababu wanduku zenu
wanamaliza wazungu na kuuaua/ ni kweli wabeleji
walikuwa asila sana na sisi/ kwa kuangaria
vizuri na sisi tulijuaka tu ku mafundisho ya
Mumpe asema kulikuwaka bwana moja mutakatifu
mutume Mateu: Mathieu: alifikaka wa kwanza mu
inchi ya wa Etiopie/ ni kweli tulisikiaka asema
ni wazungu wao: kumbe ni mweusi tu/ hiyi ni
habari ya vita ya Etiopie na njerani wake
mutadiana: Italien/
XXXVIII. KICHWA CHA MASHUA YA KWANZA HAPA NA
KATANGA.
1. kichwa ya mashua ya kwanza ni hiyi/ kwa
sababu watu wengi wamefika: sasa banakutana
vichwa vya mashua ya kila namna/ sasa
XXXVII. THE WAR OF ETIOPE [Ethiopia] AND THE
ITALIANS, 1930.131
Truly, the Ethiopians fought a war with the
Italians because of a quarrel among the Whites.
They fought a real war. The one who defeated
these people was France, it defeated them. Then
the Belgian Whites hated us, saying because your
brothers have massacred white men. Truly, the
Belgians held us a grudge, very much so. And we
looked at it carefully and we knew from the
teaching of the missionaries that there was a
holy man, the apostle Mateu (Mathieu) [Matthew]
who first came to the country of Ethiopia.
Truly, at that time we understood that they were
Whites; [now we realized] they were black. This
is the story of the war between Ethiopia and its
neighbor, the Italian.
XXXVIII. THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES HERE IN KATANGA
1. The [story of the] first head of a train
[locomotive] is this. Because many people
arrived there were locomotives of all sorts. Now
muangarieni kichwa cha kwanza ni hiyi/
ya kwanza/ Kamalamba/ alikuwa njo mwenyewe
alikuwa anabeba courrier: bado kichwa ingine/
ya pili/ njo (?)kuzala wa kubeba udongo kutosha
ku Kambove/
ya tatu/ mille/ njo ilikombola Kamalamba kubeba
courrier wa lubeba/
wa inne/ trois cent/ trois cent/ naye ilikuwa
kichwa chenye nguvu kwa kubeba mashua/
ya tano/ sept cent/ naye ilikuwa kichwa ya nguvu
kwa kubeba mashua/
ya sita/ huit cent et deux/ naye alikuwa na
nguvu kushinda/ njo alibeba wasoldats ya vita
ya[27] Kenya/
2. njo kule kunatoka na Commune Kenya/ njo pale
ilitoka ile jina ile pale/ njo watu wengi
wakaenda ku Kenya ku vita ya bazungu/ haikuwaka
vita ya bankambo yetu hapana: ya wageni
waliotuvuka butumwa/ lakini ile wakati paka
soldats na sisi waboy njo tulikwendaka ku vita
ya Kenya: watu wote hapana/ tena na wale
walikuwaka na kazi ya munganga: wale
tulikwendaka nabo pamoja/
3. hiyi ni mambo ya kichwa ya mashua/ tena hii
ya moto ya kamba:
ya saba/ eléctrique ni ya sasa: na watoto yote
wanajuayo tu/ njo ya mwisho/ hii ni habari ya
B.C.K./ naye kazi yake alionyeshaka/
look, the first locomotive was this.
1. KAMALAMBA [a small engine used for shunting].
That was the one which carried the mail. There
was no other locomotive yet.
2. There was one that brought soil [ore,
concentrate] from Kambove.
3. [Model] 1000, which replaced Kamalamba and
carried the mail.
4. 300, three hundred; it, too, was a locomotive
with the power to pull a train.
5. 700, it also was a locomotive with the power
to pull a train.
6. 802, that was the strongest of them all. It
carried the soldiers of the war of[27] Kenya.
2. That is where Kenya township comes from, that
is where this name came from. There were many
people who went to Kenya in the war of the
Whites. No, this was not a war of our ancestors
but of the foreigners who domesticated us in
slavery. But at that time only the soldiers and
we, the boys, went to the war of Kenya, not
everyone. And also those who worked as nurses,
we went together with them.
3. This is the story of the locomotives. Then
there was one [that ran] on current from a wire
7. Etric [electric]. That is the one which all
the children know now, the last one.
This was the story of BCK and the work it
showed.
XXXIX. BUSILIMU KWA WAASKARI (SOLDATS) XXXIX. WISDOM AMONG THE SOLDIERS

1. busilimu wa askari/ ni kweli: zamani twaona 1. There was true wisdom among the SOLDIERS. In
waserkali wametembea ku miguu bule: pia na the old days we saw the government agents
wapolices na bo/ ni pamoja tu/ vile alifanyaka walking barefoot, and the police too. Thus the
Belenge: Belge/ anavikako mukulu wa soldats pale Belgian clothed the legs of the soldiers with
pa sakafu: guêtres: pale/ alafu miguu iko wazi/ gaiters, but the feet were bare. Then they had a
tena na kofia: na musipi: na bwayo ya kupika cap, a belt, and a night stick with which to
nayo watu/ ile wasemaji wanasema ya kama beat the people. These were called Matracs
matracs/ [matraques].
2. sasa busilimu bulitokea pa vita ya Kenya/ 2. Now, [the soldiers'] wisdom appeared in the
sababu ile vita pale wasoldats walikwenda ku war of Kenya. [In] this war, when the soldiers
Kenya: mbele yabo yule mukubwa yabo Major yabo went to Kenya, their leader, their [sergeant]
alifanyaka utuba ku gare hii ya Eville/ saa ya major expressed regrets before them here at the
mangaribi/ asema wewe Colonel: na wewe bwana station of E/ville. It was in the afternoon. He
Maron Alphonse: musikie adisi ya muntu moja said: You, Colonel, and you, Bwana Maron
alikuwaka na imbwa wake muke/ tena yeye mwenyee Alphonse, listen to the story of a man who had a
yule bwana alitamani yule imbwa yake kwa kuwa dog as his wife. This Bwana himself wanted the
muke wake/ ni kweli imbwa alimuitikia yule bwana dog to be his wife. Truly, the dog agreed with
akuwe naye wake tu/ kweli: walifanyaka mazambi/ this Bwana to be his wife. And, truly, they
kisha imbwa ya yule bwana alipataka mimba: na sinned. Then this man's dog got pregnant and
pia akazaa mutoto/ yule bwana alichekeleaka kwa gave birth to a child. This Bwana did not stop
kuona bibiye imbwa kwa kuzaa mtoto muntu kweli/ laughing when he saw that his wife, the dog, had
wa zanamu yake muntu kuliko mama yake imbwa/ given birth to a child that was fully human. It
had a human appearance compared to his mother,
the dog.
3. basi yule bwana alikuwa analala na yule mtoto 3. So this Bwana slept in the same bed with his
yake ku kitanda yake/ na imbwa naye: ku upande child. The dog, on her part, thought: I, the
wake: aliwazaka ya kama vile mimi imbwa naisha dog, gave this Bwana a child and he will respect
kuzaa na huyu bwana: na mimi nitakuwa me. But there this poor dog was wrong. Everyday,
naheshimiwa kuiko huyu bwana/ kumbe this Bwana and the dog's child ate at one table.
alidanganyika tu yake maskini imbwa/ na siku So this mama went on thinking: I love this
yote yule bwana alikuwa anakula na yule mtoto ya Bwana. This Bwana, on his part, did not think
imbwa meza: table: moja/ kisha naye mama so.
aliendelea na mawazo ya kwamba na mimi nipo na
bupenzi na huyu bwana/ kumbe yule bwana naye: ku
upande wake hakuwa na ile mawazo/
4. sasa siku moja imbwa alipimaka kulala naye 4. Now, one day the dog tried to sleep in the
pale pa kitanda ya abala yake yule muzungu/ na bed of her lover, this white man. Truly, when
kweli yule bwana alimukuta pale: akamufukuza[28] this Bwana found her there, he chased[28] [Pp.
[Pp. 28-29 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 28-29 of the original in facsimile, GIF - 177
177 KB] [Pp. 28-29 of the original in facsimile, KB] [Pp. 28-29 of the original in facsimile,
JPEG - 268 KB] yule bibi yake yule imbwa mbio/ JPEG - 268 KB] his wife, this dog, away at once.
nakumutukana sana: asema loo! mukosi gani napata He cursed her saying: Looo! What kind of a curse
mimi bwana wa mutu kwa bibi wa imbwa kulala pa falls on me, the human husband, from this wife,
kitanda ya kwangu/ ni ginsi gani hii banduku! the dog [who wants] to sleep with me in [my]
basi ile siku naye maskini imbwa alivumilia bed. What does this mean, brothers? On that day,
amewaza ya kwamba pengine yule wangu bwana mutu the poor dog was patient enough to think:
amesahabu kwake kwa kunifahamu/ perhaps this human husband of mine forgot who I
am.
5. na siku ingine bibi wake imbwa alionaka yule 5. So, some other day his wife, the dog, saw
boy wa muzungu akafanya meza/ naye bibi imbwa this white man's boy lay the table. Lady dog
akamuambia yule boy ya kwamba: leo usifanye meza told the boy, don't lay two places today, you
mbili hapana: yafaa kufanya meza tatu: trois must lay three. Truly, this boy thought for
tables/ ni kweli yule boy amewazaka na roho yake himself, perhaps another white man will visit us
ya kwamba pengine kutakuya leo huku kwetu today. This boy laid the table for three
muzungu mungine/ yule naye boy amefanya meza persons, which is to say, three plates. Then it
tatu: trois tables/ kwa mufano: meza tatu ni was time for this Bwana to come home and there
sahani tatu/ na saa ilitimia yule bwana amefika he met his wife, the dog. She had already sat
ku nyumba yake: alikutana yule bibi yake imbwa: down at her husband's, the white man's, table.
aliisha kutantama kule ku meza ya bwana yake So this white man beat this poor dog.
muzungu/ sasa yule muzungu alimupika yule
maskini imbwa/
6. naye maskini imbwa alimuuliza ya kwamba:
sababu gani unanipikia? bwana alijibu ya kwamba:
sababu wewe wipo nyama mimi nipo muzungu mutu/
naye imbwa akamuambia loo: mukosi wako
mwanakuni/ wewe hauko muzungu kama haukuoaka
bibi wa rangi yako? mimi njo nipo na huyu mutoto
wangu wa kuzaa mimi mwenyewe/ sababu gani wewe
wipo unalala na mtoto yangu kitanda moja? tena
wewe wipo unakula na mtoto wa kuzaa mimi
mwenyewe meza moja/ sasa mimi mama yake na
mutoto nakuwa nyama kwako?
7. na pale sasa musikie yule Premier Sergeant
Major vile aliletaka mufano kwiko wazungu wa
wabeleges/ ile mufano: maana yake ilikuwa kwa
wazungu walikuwa wanapendako wabibi yetu: na
watoto yetu/ alakini kwa sisi wenyewe:
habakupenda kula pamoja na sisi: ama kulala
kitanda moja na sisi hapana bila tu wanawake
wetu tu: njo bale walikuwa wanapenda kula nabo
pamoja: na kulala nabo pamoja/ njo mufano ya
yule Premier Sergeant Major aliwapaka wabelges
pa bo kwenda ku vita ya Kenya/ na mutoto wa
imbwa ni mûlatre: mama ni bibi/ sasa kwabo mama
wa imbwa ni sisi/ mutoto ni bibi analalaka
nyumba moja na babo: na kula pamoja na babo/
8. njo mufano ile Premier Sergeant Major
alimupaka bwana Colonel yake: na bwana
Gouverneur Alphonse Maron/ na akasema ya kwamba:
tulipikanaka vita ya mille neuf cent quatorze na
mille neuf cent dix huit/ mwisho wa vita tangu
6. And the poor dog asked him, why do you beat
me? Her husband answered, because you are an
animal, I am a White, a human being. Then the
dog told him: Loo! Be cursed, child of dead wood
[curse]. Are you no white man if you don't mary
a wife of your color? I have this child I myself
gave birth to. How come, you and my child sleep
in one bed? And you eat with this child of mine,
the one I myself gave birth to, at one table.
Now I, the child's mother, am an animal in your
eyes?
7. Listen to this Premier Sergeant Major, how he
gave an example to the Whites, the Belgians. The
meaning of this fable was: Among the Whites
there were those who loved our wives and our
children. But they did not like to eat with us,
nor to sleep with us in one bed. Only with our
women they liked to eat and to sleep. This is
the fable which this Premier Sergeant Major told
the Belgians when they left for the war of
Kenya. And the dog's child, that is the Mulatto;
[her] mother is the wife. Now, for them, the
mother of the dog, that's us. The child is the
wife who lives with them in one house and eats
with them.
8. That is the fable this Premier Sergeant Major
gave to his Bwana Colonel and to Bwana Governor
Alphonse Maro[n]. And he said, we fought the war
of 1914 until the war ended in 1918. Ever since,
we the soldiers wear shorts and [go] barefoot,
pale sisi wa Soldats tuipo tu tunavala kapitula:
na ku mikulu bule: pasipo kuvaa bilato/ na tuipo
tunalala mu kanyumba ya musalani kadogo tu/
lakini kwa siku ya leo sisi kwa kwenda ku vita
yenu mweye tena: hatutake siku ya leo ku vita
kukuwe tena kwa kamilifu sisi tupikwe tena
fimbo/ haiwezakane/ na tunataka vita ya leo
kesho kama muzungu anacommander vita[29]: kesho
yake naye Sergeant Major mutu naye anacommander/
tena tukitoka kule ku vita: tukuye hapa:
hatutake tena kuvaa kapitula: na kuvaa guêtres:
na kutembea ku mikulu pasipo vyatu/ haiwezekane
kwetu/ na tunaomba kuona manyumba nzuri/
9. njo vile munaona siku ya leo soldats iko na
ile bintu yote siku ya leo/ na wazungu siku ile:
mu gare hii: mulikuwaka kilio: na kusaka meno
wamadames yabo/ na bo benyewe walitoshaka
machozi ku macho yao/ sisi wote: kila mutu bila
hakwende na paquet ya tumbako: na mukate ya
kuwapatia wale wasoldats wenye kwenda ku vita/
hii ni habari ya vita ya Kenya/
XL. KUYA KWA MUFALME BARIBINO (ROI BAUDOUIN) MU
INCHI YA CONGO PIA NA MU KATANGA.
pale Mufalme Baribino alikuyaka mwaka wa mille
neuf cent cinquante cinq/ pale wote wanajua/
without putting on shoes. And we sleep in tiny
houses, like latrines. But from this day on, as
we are leaving for your war, we want to be
certain that we will no longer be beaten with a
stick. This is now impossible. And we demand, be
it in this or the next war, that, as a white man
can have a war command,[29] so can a black
Sergeant Major. And if we get out of this war
and come back here we don't want to wear shorts
any more, and gaiters and go barefoot without
shoes. We cannot accept this [any longer]. And
we want to see decent housing.
9. This is why you see that the soldiers
nowadays have all these things. On that day, at
the station, the Whites lamented and their
madames ground their teeth. They themselves
cried and shed tears. And all of us -- there was
not a person who went [to the station] without a
pack of cigarettes, or some bread, to give to
those soldiers who went to war. This is the
story of the war of Kenya.
XL. THIS IS THE ARRIVAL OF KING BARIBINO (ROI
BAUDOUIN) IN THE CONGO AND IN KATANGA.
King Baribino132 came in the year 1955, as
everybody knows. We cannot tell you much about
lakini hatuweze kumieleza mingi hapana/ kwa
sababu wote wamemuona yule bwana Kitoko: mufalme
wa wabeleji/ na pia kwenda yake: akamutuma
karani wake bwana waziri wa mambo ya kigeni:
bwana marehemu bwana Buisseret/ nyinyi wote
mulimuona/
XLI. SASA TUTAONA MWISHO WA MAKABILA YALIANZAKA
KAZI YAO NA BWANA U.M.H.K. NI HABA MAKABILA.
pale bwana Union Minière anafungula kazi yake ya
kwanza: ni watu wa mikini ya karibu wamekuja
kutumika/ watu wale wameitwa:
wa kwanza: Balamba: Baseba: Balemba: Basanga:
Bayeke: na bena Mitumba/ nao si wengi/ na tena
habakuwa na roho ya kutaka kuacha migini yabo
waendelee na kazi hapana/ walikuwaka wametumika
muda wa miezi mbili: ama miezi tatu: wameenda
kwao/ bado kidogo: viwanja vya kazi vinakuwa
vikubwa/ alafu wanaita watu wa Luapula na wa
Rhodésies na wengine/ wanakuja Balunda: Babemba:
Barotise: na watu wa Nyassaland Boy vile vile/
na bale nabo walikuwaka na nguvu ya kutumika
kazi/ lakini maroho yabo haikutakakaka vile vile
kuacha mikini yabo muda murefu/ lakini
wakimaliza tickets sita: ama kumi: dix: wamewaza
kurudi kwao/ wachache tu: walikuwaka wameisha
it because you all saw him, this Bwana Kitoko
[well dressed], king of the Belgians. And when
he left, they sent his clerk, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, the late Bwana Buissere[t]. You
all saw him.133
XLI. NOW, FINALLY, WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE
DIFFERENT TRIBES WHO BEGAN TO WORK AT BWANA
UMHK. THESE ARE THE TRIBES.134
When Bwana "Union Minière" first began his work
it was the people from villages nearby who came
to work. These people were called
1. Balamba, Baseba, Balemba, Basanga, Bayeke,
and Bene
Mitumba. They were not many and they did not
really want to leave their villages and go to
work for any length of time. They used to work
for two, three months and then they went home.
After a little while, the places where there was
work got big. Then they called people from
Luapula and the Rhodesias, and others came:
Balunda, Babemba, Barotise [Barotse] and the
Nyassaland boy people, too. They had the
strength to do the work but were not disposed to
leave their village for a long time either. They
finished 6 or 10 tickets135, then they would
miaka yao/ na wengine walikuwa wanamaliza ama
tickets douze: ao zaidi/ hiyi ni mambo ya
matubila walisaidia bwana U.M.H.K. hapa na
Katanga/ [30] [Pp. 30-31 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 162 KB] [Pp. 30-31 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 238 KB]
XLII. KUACHA KWA WABOY WENGI KAZI YA BOY.
1. waboy mingi walikuwaka kazi yote ya mikononi
hapa Katanga/ boy alikuwa na kazi yote ya hapa
tu/ tunamipasha habari ya kwanza: tuliteswa sana
sana/ sasa mutaangaria kazi boy alisumbukaka na
wale watu wakigeni: wazungu/
wa kwanza/ cuisinier: boy wa nyumba: boy maison:
lavandeur wa kufula manguo/
wa pili/ chauffeur: mécanicien: charpentier/
ya tatu/ clerc: planton: planton: facteur/
wa inne/ commerçant/
wa tano: infirmier/
wa sita/ fundi wa kuua nyama/ paka yeye boy
alitumika mingi na wazungu/ kisha yote kazi hapa
Katanga tu yeye boy mwenye tu: pasipo kuwa
bengine/
wa saba/ boy alikwendaka na ulaya mbele ya
watumwa ya wabeleji: yeye wa mbele/
wa munane/ soldat ni yeye tu: boy kwenda ku vita
yote tu ya mille neuf cent quatorze à mille neuf
return home. Few among them finished their year.
Others finished 12 tickets or more. This is the
story of the tribes which helped Bwana UMHK here
in Katanga.[30] [Pp. 30-31 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 162 KB] [Pp. 30-31 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 238 KB]
XLII. WHEN MANY BOYS ABANDONED DOMESTIC WORK
1. There were many boys for all sorts of manual
labor here in Katanga; the boy did every kind of
work. We told you the story of how we suffered
in the beginning. Now you will look at the work
-- how the boy toiled for these foreigners, the
Whites.
1. Cuisinieur [cuisinier, cook], house boy,
Lavandeur, washing clothes. [Also] the boy
[working as]
2. Chauffeur, Macanique [mechanic], charpatier
[charpentier, carpenter].
3. Clerk, Planton [messenger], mailman.
4. COMMERçent [commerçant, trader].
5. Infiermier [infirmier, nurse].
6. The craft to kill animals --many boys worked
[as butchers] for the whites. In the end, it was
the boy himself who did all kinds of work here
in Katanga, there was no one else.
7. Boy[s] in those days used to go to Europe
cent dix huit/ before the other servants of the first Belgians.
wa kenda/ police ni yeye tu yule bwana: 8. The soldier -- he is the boy who served all
alitumika sana/ yafaa kumupa pole/ through the war of 1914 and 1918.
9. The police[man] -- he is the man who worked
hard, and he has to be congratulated.
2. hii yote ni boy alifanya na wabeleji/ na sasa 2. All this the boy did for the Belgians. And
iko tu anaendelea na wakubwa wetu wa now he goes on with our leaders of the
Indépendance ya Congo yetu nzima/ wote wale independence of the entire Congo. Those children
watoto ya masomo ni watoto yetu sisi waboy/ sasa who went to school, they are our's, the
boy ameeleza yote yake alionaka mbele ya bote tu boy'schildren. Now the boy has told everything
mu Congo Belge/ he saw, before anyone else in the Belgian Congo.
3. muangarie hapa chini: wa ya mambo ya B.C.K./ 3. Now look below, the story of BCK; but the
lakini mwenyewe wa kwanza ni: first ones were 1. CFK
wa kwanza/ C. F. K./ 2. BTK.136
wa pili/ B. T. K./

XLIII. WASIMBA VILE WALIKUWAKA WANALOPOLA WATU XLIII. HOW THE LIONS PICKED PEOPLE FROM TRAINS
KU MASHUA YA BARAZA YA BWANA B.C.K., C.F.K. NA WITH PLATFORMS OF BWANA BCK, CFK, AND BTK WHICH
B.T.K. NJO WALE WA KWANZA HAPA. WERE THE FIRST HERE.

pale mbele mashua ilikuwaka yenye na baraza: na
watu walikuwa wanapenda kwikala ku mashua kule
ku mabaraza/ naye simba pale amenunka kula watu:
hasa pale pa Kilasimba (Kilashimba): na watembo
pale Kilatembo/ hiyi ni mambo ya wanyama mubaya
wale walikuwa humu mu Katanga/ kisha wazungu
waliwaregeza sana tu/[31]
In the old days, the trains had [open]
platforms, and this is where the people liked to
sit. And the lion craved to eat them. That was
at the places [called] Kilasimba and, for
Elephants, Kilatembo.137
That is the story of the ferocious animals that

XLIV. KWANZA YA TUBURI NI MWAKA KANI? 1911 A
1912, KWANZA YA KUFIKA NJANJA 1910.
1. kwa kufika njanja: mille neuf cent et dix/
kisha yake kulipitaka magonjwa makali mu ile
mwaka wa mille neuf cent et douze/ ile magonjwa
yale iliitwa ya kwamba maladi ya kapitula/ ni
kweli sababu pale watu hawakuwa bado kuzobelea
kula chakula ya kila fasi/ ile bunga ya
tukutuku: njo yale ikawapa watu magonjwa ya kila
namna muno/ watu pale njo kufariki tabani/ na
ile bunga ilikuwaka bunga nyeusi: sawa vile siku
leo tuliona umoja wa mataifa: l'O.N.U.:
alitupatia bunga nyekunda kwa bwana Kennedy wa
wamalekani/ na lwa mbele wababa walioana hivi:
pia na sisi tukaona tena ku vita ya mille neuf
cent quatorze na kufika mille neuf cent dix-
huit/
2. hii ni namna ya kujua tubudi ilianza mwaka
gani? ni ile mwaka wa juu tuliandika: mille neuf
cent et onze: deux/ siku njo tunasababu: sababu
siku zinapita mingi muno/ hiyi ni habari ya
tubudi/ hatuwezi tunaeleza ya mugini moja/
ingine mugini yetu ya bya lote inabaki/ hapana:
used to be here in Katanga. Finally, the Whites
got rid of them.[31]
XLIV. WHICH WAS THE YEAR THEY LAID OUT THE FIRST
CEMETERY. IN 1912. THE RAILWAY FIRST ARRIVED IN
1910.
1. The railway arrived in 1910. After that a
terrible epidemic swept [the country] in 1912.
It was called the illness of Kaputula138. Truly,
it was because in those days the people were not
yet used to eating the food [that came] from
everywhere. It was this flour called Tukutuku139
which gave the people illness of every kind.
Many, many people died then. And this flour was
dark, just like you saw it in these days when
the UN gave us red flower that came from Bwana
Kennedi [Kennedy] of the Americans. The people
in the old days saw this, and we also, during
the war of 1914-1918.
2. This is how to know in what year the cemetery
was opened. It was, as we wrote above, in 1911,
in November. The day we forgot, because many
days have passed since. This is the story of the
cemetery. We cannot tell only about the one
village; there is still our other village which
yafaa kukumbuka ile mugini yaitwa kwa Tshenda-
Makwala/ na sasa inaitwa ya kama bwana Kilengo/
naye ni ku bulongo/
XLV. WATU WA BULOKO PALE KU MUNYOLOLO
wanabafunga watu sita (6 personnes) BOMA YA
KWANZA NI PALE PEKO NYUMBA YA WENYEE MALADI YA
BAZIMU PALE.
muzungu wa kwanza na ile boma ni bwana moja
walikuwa wanamuita asema bwana Longolongo/ yeye
jina ya kwabo alikuwaka bwana Germain/ alikuwaka
muzungu moja wa makari kupita/ na alikuwa anavaa
kilato mwekunda ngambo: na kilato nyeusi ngambo/
tena mashamba yake: na nyumba yake: ilikuwa njia
ya Kafubu ya Salésiens/ kisha yeye walimuita
tena muflamand mungine/ nayee wa roho yake
mubaya vile vile/ kisha yule: njo bwana Kasombo:
na bwana Tshamungu: alikuwa sawa sergeant wa
boma/ yule alifariki kwa kumusimamia yule bwana
alimupikaka Kasombo mwenyewe kisu ku tumbo/ sasa
yeye bwana Tshamungu yule njo alikuyaka kukata
sheria mu mwaka wa mille neuf cent trente huit/
njo wabelge pale walikuwa wenye kutomboka pa
kuona hivi na damu yake/ njo yule bwana
kusuribiwa/ alikuwa kabila ya Kabinda/ pale
banamutundika pale pa soko ya wazungu/ pale njo
is for eternity. No, one must remember the
village called "kwa Tshenda Makwala"140. Now it
is called "Bwana Kilenge"141. He, too, is in the
ground.
XLV. PEOPLE OF THE PRISON. They used to lock six
people to a chain.142 THE FIRST PRISON WAS WHERE
THERE IS NOW THE HOUSE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL.143
The first white [director] of the prison was a
man they used to call bwana Longolongo. In his
country his name was Bwana Gérmain [Servais]144.
He was a white man of incredible severity. And
he used to wear a red shoe on one side and a
black one on the other. His fields and house
were on the road to Kafubu where the Salesians
are. After him they called another Fleming, and
he had a very bad spirit, too. After that one it
was Bwana Kasombo and Bwana Tshamungu145 who was
like the sergeant of the prison. He [Tshamungu]
died when he tried to overwhelm a man who had
put a knife into Bwana Kasombo's belly. This
Bwana Tshamungu was the one who decided the
palavers in the year 1938. The Belgians became
furious when they saw this, the blood flowing
from [Kasombo]. This Bwana [his assailant] was
crucified [executed]. He was of the Kabinda
na yeye akaye kumubeba bwana Tshamungu yule kwa
Taymu na vile anamupika/[32] [Pp. 32-33 of the
original in facsimile, GIF - 185 KB] [Pp. 32-33
of the original in facsimile, JPEG - 272 KB]
XLVI. KWANZA YA UHURU WA CONGO KWA MUFALME
BARIBINO COMMENCENMENT DE L'INDEPENDANCE DU
CONGO POUR LE ROI BAUDOUIN DE LA BELGIQUE LE
13/1/1959.
1. kwanza ya uhuru wa Congo le treize un mille
neuf cent cinquante neuf: Mufalme Baribino
akaanza kuleta mifano yake ya kupana uhuru wa
Congo/ ni kweli pale pale njo palianza uchaguzi
wa kwanza wa waBourgmestres hapa Congo: pia
majimbo yote ya Congo Belge/ ile uchuguzi
ulitangulia lakini mbele ya le treize un
cinquante neuf: njo ilianzaka mu mwaka wa mille
neuf cent cinquante six na mille neuf cent
cinquante sept: kwa kufikisha miaka tatu tatu:
trois années/ kweli tukachagula ile vote kila
commune ikatowa Bourgmestre wake/ kila commune
na Bourgmestre wake/ kweli pale sisi watu wa
Katanga hatukupataka hata moja Bourgmestre hata
moja tu/ paka pale banduku yetu wengine
tribe. They hanged him in the market for
Europeans. And he [?] came to take Bwana
Tshamungu away from Tayimu's and he beat him
up.146 [32] [Pp. 32-33 of the original in
facsimile, GIF - 185 KB] [Pp. 32-33 of the
original in facsimile, JPEG - 272 KB]
XLVI. THE BEGINNING OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE CONGO
[given] BY KING BARIBINO. DE L"INDEPENDANCE DU
CONGO POUR LE ROI BAUDOUIN DE LA BELGIQUE LE
13/1/1959.
1. [As regards] the beginning of independence
for the Congo on January 13, 1959, King Baribino
began to give instructions to grant independence
to the Congo.147 Truly, that is when the first
elections of mayors took place here in the
Congo, or rather in all the districts of the
Congo. Elections had taken place before January
13, 1959. They started in 1956, and in 1957, for
terms of three years. Truly, we cast our votes
in every commune. A mayor was elected for each
commune, each had one. Truly, at [? up to] that
time we, people of Katanga, had not gotten a
single mayor [from our midst], only the others
from down there148, the [Ba]Kongo on the [lower]
Congo.
waliotoka chini mwa Congo ama kandokando ya
Congo/
2. sasa muone wenyewe waBourgmestres walianzaka
mu Province ya Katanga Oriental/
premier/ Bourgmestre wa Commune Elisabeth/ Mr.
Labothe: Belge/
deuxième/ Bourgmestre wa Commune Albert/ Mr.
Lwanga Pascal: Mutetela/
troisième/ Bourgmestre wa Commune Kenya/ Mr.
Tshikulu Omar: Kasaï/
quatrième/ Bourgmestre wa Commune Katuba/ Mr.
Mukenji Thadéus: Kasai
cinquième/ Bougmestre wa Commune Ruashi/ Mr.
Musekesha Laurent: Mutetela/
3. pale mutu wa Katanga hata moja/ tulifanya
miaka tatu: trois: njo le treize un cinquante
neuf Mufalme Barbino ameitwa wa virongozi wa
Kongo/ njo pale palitokea sasa vyama vya
utetezi: partis politiques du Congo/
2. Now you will see those who first held the
office of mayor in the province of East Katanga.
1st Mayor of Commune Elisabeth- Mr. Labothe
[Lambotte], a Belgian.
2nd Mayor of Commune Albert- Mr. Lwanga [Lwangi]
Pascal, a Tetela.
3rd Mayor of Commune Kenya- Mr. Tshikulu Omar
[Omer], a Kasaian.
4th Mayor of Commune Katuba- Mr. Mukenji
Thadéus, a Kasaian.
5th Mayor of Commune Lwashi [Ruashi]- Mr.
Musekesha Laurent, a Tetela.
3. At that time there was not one [among them]
from Katanga. Then we passed three years and
came to January 13, 1959. King Barbino called
the leaders of the Congo. Then the political
parties came up (Partis Politique du Congo).149

XLVII. C O N A K A T M O U V E M E N T N A T I XLVII. C O N A K A T, M O U V E M E N T N A T I
O N A L C O N G O L A I S, L U M U M B I S T E. O N A L E C O N G O L A I S E, L U M U M B I S
T E

1. pale ku upande wa Conakat tuliona wa kwanza 1. On the side of Conakat we saw that the first
ni bwana Kalenda Mathieu wa benye Kanyoka/ one was Bwana Kalenda Mathieu, a Kanyoka. He
alikuwaka mandateur hapa na Maître Libése/ yeye used to be Mandateur (mandataire) [agent] here
yule bwana alitazamiaka yake ile mambo ya under Metre Libése [maître Rubbens]. This Bwana
utetezi/ kwake ilikuwaka kigumu muno akaipukamo/ [Kalenda] looked after his party and its
njo kumusukumia Bwana Munongo Godefroid/ yule affairs. Then a difficulty arose and he quit
mwenyewe tunalikwa ya kwamba tumuone yeye [Conakat]. Then he supported Bwana Munongo
mwenyewe liwali wetu wa Katanga Oriental/ kweli Godefroid who, it had been promised, would be
na yeye ku upande wake alikuwaka na benzake nabo our Governor of East Katanga. He, on his side,
bale mutabaona majina yabo/ na vile ilifika had his supporters. You are going to see them
kwiko bwana wetu Moïse Tshombe/ yeye pale [and] their names. And thus we came to our Bwana
alikuwaka yake ku Sandoa ku makao yake/ Moïse Tshombe. At that time he was in his
premier/ Bwana Munongo Godefroid: njo wa pili residence in Sandoa.
kwiko Mathieu Kalenda/ 1st Bwana Munongo Godefroid, he is the second
deuxième/ Bwana Makonga Bonaventure: njo wa tatu after Mathieu Kalenda.
kwiko Munongo Godefroid/[33] 2nd Bwana Makonga Bonavatur [Bonaventure]150, he
troisième/ Bwana Kambola Ndala Henri/ na wakubwa is the third, following Munongo Godefroid.[33]
wengine pia/ 3rd Bwana Kambola NDala Henri, and other
leaders.
2. na vile wao wakamuita yule bwana Moïse 2. They called Bwana Moïse Tshombe to be
Tshombe naye babakie pamoja/ pale bwana marehemu together [with them]. At that time, the late
Jason Sendwe alikuwaka mu kazi ya kinganga: Bwana Jason Sendwe worked as a nurse at Kanene,
munganga: ku Kanene: bulongo ya Kinda wa in the country of Kinda among the Kalango. When
Kalango/ pale yule bwana naye kama alisikiaka: this Bwana heard [of the alliance] he moved here
amehamia hapa na muji mukubwa wa shaba/ naye pia to copper capital city and he joined the Conakat
aliingiaka mu chama ya Conakat/ na yeye yule njo party. He then began to sow discord among the
alianza tena kupevua waLuba/ ya kwanza mwenyee Luba. The one who first led a group of Baluba
alikuwaka na kundi ya Baluba ni Makonga was Makonga Bonaventure. Then the late Jason
Bonaventure/ sasa marehemu Jason Sendwe njo Sendwe got others to support him, so the name
kuwachonga: njo kuleta na jina ya Balukat/ pale became Balubakat. That is when politics became
pale utetezi inaanza na kuendelea vibaya/ bad. There was no mutual understanding in those
hakukuwaka tena masikilizano siku ile: ama days. Thus we saw how this Bwana Tshombe, Bwana
makati ile/ na ile tukaona yule bwana Tshombe: Jean Kibwe, Bwana Munongo, our chief, and Bwana
bwana Jean Kibwe: na bwana Chef wetu Munongo Charles Mutaka Wadilomba went to the Round Table
Antoine: na Bwana Charles Mutaka Wadilomba kwa in Belgium to talk about Katanga.151 We cannot
kwenda ku Table Ronde ku Belgique: kwa kwenda
kusemea Katanga/ kwa kifupi hiyi hatuweze
tuonyeshe yote apana/ wote wanaijua tu/ hii ni
kukumbusha tu akili yetu/
3. na vile tulikamataka Indépendant yetu hii ya
kuozaoza/ pia watu wengi pale habakupendana tena
pale/ na vile kulikuwa kubeba vitu ya watoka
ulaya yabo vitu ya biashara/ lakini sisi waboy
hatukuwaka na ile roho hapana/ sisi tulikuwa na
commune yetu Elisabeth/ na pia mulikuwa wazungu
wetu wengi/ ile wakati wabwana wetu na wabibi
yabo walikimbia kwenda kwao/ lakini kulikuwaka
wengine wa upande wabo habakukumbiaka/ wengi
walikwendaka: na wengi tulibaki nabo/ tena sisi
waboy tulichungaka vitu vyabo kwasipo
kuwapotezia vitu vyabo hapana/
4. tena mule mu macommunes yote watu walikuwa
wanauana/ lakini sisi waboy hapana/ tena
tulikuwa tunafanya politique yetu ya ku kinywa
tu: na benzetu bale tulikuwaka nabo fitina/ sasa
sisi waboy tunataka tupate sisi commune yetu ya
pekee kwa bwana liwali/ na bwana wetu hawa
wawili wa commune Elisabeth/ sababu tangu pale
tulipata utetezi na kufika ku uhuru wetu: mweye
wakubwa wetu bado kutujua sisi waboy/
5. hii ni Vocabulaire yetu kidogo/ lakini haina
kidogo: ni Vocabulaire yaleta mawazo na bila
nani: na nani/ kwa herini/
show all this in a few words. Everyone knows
about it, it is just to remind us so that we
think of it.
3. And so we got that rotten independence of
ours. Many people no longer loved each other.
And they began to loot the European stores. But
we, the boys, did not have that spirit. We lived
in our Commune Elisabeth and there were many
Whites [with us]. At that time our masters and
their wives fled and returned home. But there
were also many who did not run away. Many went
and many stayed. And we, the boys, watched over
their belongings without losing anything.
4. There in all the townships [of the African
part of town] people were killing each other.
Not we, the boys. And we made our politics mouth
to mouth. There was conflict among us [too].
We, the boys wanted to get [an accord] from the
governor and those two Bwanas of the commune
Elisabeth that our commune Elisabeth be reserved
for us. Because ever since we had our politics
and got to our independence you, our leaders,
did not give recognition to us, the boys.
5. This is our little vocabulary. Actually, it
is not little, it is a vocabulary that offers
thoughts on all and everything. Goodbye to you.
Notes
1 Translated from the original. Notice that this sommaire is not identical with the chapter headings in the text.
2 The page references are to the orginal. In the Shaba/Katanga Swahili version and this translation these are marked by bold numbers
in square brackets.
3 The original has mashariki, which signifies east in East Coast Swahili. Katanga ya mashariki can be translated as [province du]

Katanga Oriental, East Katanga Province, an administrative unit at the time the vocabulary was published; see the title page. But it is
clear from another context that the author uses the term to refer to southern or "Upper Katanga" (Haut Katanga) as a whole (see
Sh/KS Version I, 21).
4 This is one of the few instances in which the original has a date spelled out in Swahili. This sounds old fashioned and a bit solemn, a

stylistic effect probably intended by the author. Usually Sh/KS employs French numerals in dates (day, month, year). Having created
the desired effect, the author seems to feel the need to "translate" this into current usage, hence the numbers in parentheses. Sh/KS
speakers deviate from this rule when they specify a given month: mwezi ya kwanza, the first month, for January, and so forth.- The
date is that of the recognition of the Congo Independent State at the Berlin conference. Actually, different nations registered
recognition between December 16, 1884 and February 23, 1885 and the official proclamation came on May 29, 1885.
5 The transition here is sudden and elliptic -- what was the "suffering?" The infamous early history of the Congo Free State stirred the

imagination of Europeans and produced an abundant literature. All this is here only alluded to. Throughout the Vocabulaire the term
'suffering' will cover colonialist injustice and outright atrocities without usually spelling out their exact nature.
6 Here the author switches the code, from Swahili to French. He flashes, as it were, a keyword signaling the system of knowledge that

was involved in appropriating the vast areas that were to become the Congo. It is certainly permitted to take the term as a reminder
that the Leopoldian enterprise started with the famous 1876 Conference de Géographie in Brussels (see La Conférence de
Géographie de 1876. 1976).
7 The "Compagnie Congolaise pour le Commerce et l'Industrie" (also called "Compagnie du Congo etc"') was founded by Captain

Albert Thys in 1887 as a vehicle for private business interests mainly in the Congo Basin. Léopold II, sensing the threat posed by
British interests in Katanga offered Thys and his CCCI extraordinary privileges (see Fetter 1976:17, 18; Perrings 1979:9). "Compagnie
du Katanga" was the name for a for an expeditionary force sent to Katanga by the CCCI in September 1890 under the command of
Alexandre Delcommune (Fetter 1976:17). While both bodies were formally constituted as private organizations our author is
essentially correct when he sees them as instruments of the Free State government (which of course, formally speaking, was a private
affair of Léopold II).
8 This is the first of many lists of names. It is also the only one in which European names are, without exception, spelled correctly.
Other than later listings, this one may therefore be presumed to have come from a printed source.- Four expeditions consolidated
Léopold's stakes in Katanga; their leaders were: Captain Paul Le Marinel 1890-1891, Captain W. G. Stairs 1891, Alexandre
Delcommune 1891-1893, and Lucien Bia-Lieutenant Emile Francqui, also during that last period. Captain Bodson was second in
command in the Stairs expedition. On December 20, 1891 he shot and killed Msiri, paramount chief of the Bayeke in his residence
near present day Bunkeya. In the ensuing skirmish Bodson was shot by one of Msiri's men and died soon after. Officially Bodson was
presumed to have acted in self-defence after Msiri (a rather decrepit old man by that time) had drawn his saber in the course of a
heated argument. Even colonial accounts of the event admit that there remains some confusion about what really happened (see
Verbeken 1956). At any rate, Msiri's death removed a major political and military obstacle to Belgian occupation of Katanga (see
M'Bokolo 1975). - The Bia expedition which had its headquarters at Bunkeya had the geologist Jules Cornet among its members,
reflecting the transition from military conquest to geographic surveys and geological prospection. Our author has the historical
priorities correct when he later (paragraph 6) concentrates on Cornet.
9 This is correct in a manner of speaking, the manner being the perspective of official Belgian accounts. A group of British

missionaries (of the "Garenganze Evangelical Mission") had established a post near the Yeke capital in 1886.
10 There should be no need to translate bwana; colonial literature and, at the latest, Tarzan movies transported the term into English

and other European languages. In the Vocabulaire it has a number of partially overlapping meanings: (a) Most generally it simply
means Mister (preceding a name) or (gentle)man. (b) In distinction to bibi, wife, it means husband. (c) In a more restricted sense it is
the term of address and reference reserved for those who had the power to insist on such things, the Whites. (d) Even more
specifically bwana signifies employer. As the expression bwana Union Minière shows, this last connotation may cover a relationship
in which the employer is a large anonymous company rather than a known person. However it is interesting to note that the key
position of the mining company as the ultimate employer (the one that creates the need for other services, including the
administration) seems to have been linguistically encoded by reserving the title bwana to the Union Minière and its subsidiaries
(Bwana BCK, see XLIII). I am not aware of either the Tanganyika Concessions Ltd., or the government, bulamatari, being referred to
as bwana. Bwana Robert Williams does occur, but here the reference is to a person as well as a company.- For the sake of
completeness a fifth meaning should be noted: (e) Bwana combined with a noun may signify a service (not necessarily the European
supervisor) within the company, as in bwana moto, the electricians, bwana saa, the time keeper(s), bwana changachanga the
compound management, etc.- Incidentally, the term bwana is not used for the successor (after 1967) of the Union Minière, the
Gécamines.
11 The English term compound entered Sh/KS in a number of variants (komponi, kompund, and kompunj). Its historical route of

diffusion via labor management originally run by Robert Williams and Co. is reflected today by the fact that the term only applies to
labor settlements, above all of the mining company. Other "native" settlements ("townships" in South African parlance) were usually
referred to by Belgian administrative terms such as cité, or commune; in French, workers' settlements are called camps (de
travailleurs).
12 Jules Cornet was a attached to the Bia-Francqui expedition in 1892. He spent twelve months travelling through central Katanga and

his geographic reconnaissance and geological observations were the foundation for later surveys. On Cornet see BCB V: 163f and
Cambier 1950.
13 Already the passage on Cornet's travels all over Katanga may reflect recollections among the author's sources but it is definitely at

this point, with the reference to palpable reminders that can still be seen, that the Vocabulaire begins to invoke, next to secondary,
written or printed sources, eyewitness accounts by Africans.
14 In 1900 Léopold II bought out the "Compagnie du Katanga" and organized the "Comité Special du Katanga," once again a move to

counteract British interests which had led to the formation in 1899 by Robert Williams of the "Tanganyika Concessions Ltd." See on
this Fetter (1976:18ff). Eventually the competitors joined forces and Robert Williams became a major figure in organizing the Katanga
mining industry as well as transportation. His role is recognized in the Vocabulaire (see I, 11, 20, 22; V, 1).
15 "Prospectors" is the translation of wachimbaji ya tuyope, diggers of tuyope, a term whose derivation is uncertain. It refers to

carrottes, "carrots," a technical term for cylindrical drilling samples; it may be formed from the English word "copper," in which case the
initial /k/ would have been interpreted as the ka- class prefix whose plural form is tu-.
16 This must refer to la voie nationale, the rail-river connection from Shaba to Matadi. The phrase in the original, njia mu udongo,

may be a calque on French la voie terrestre. In that case the translation should be "an overland connection" (rather than just "dirt
road"). The idea was to be able to ship goods from and to Katanga without having to pass through other colonies.
17 The "Benguela Railway Company." The date is correct.
18 The date here is confusing unless one assumes that the author changes the subject and anticipates the period he takes up in the

following paragraph.
19
The development of railroads was essential to the "opening up" of Katanga and our author, although not always correct in detail,
condenses in a few paragraphs the essence of the complicated strategic and economic problems which this entailed. For a detailed
account of the history of railroads in Katanga, especially also of the role of Robert Williams see Katzenellenbogen (1973) and the
somewhat hagiographic account by Cornet (1950b).
20 The term mali in the original could be translated generally as wealth. But the three functions which are named in connection with

the founding of sociétés -- transportation, mining, agriculture -- suggest that the more restricted meaning of mineral wealth, i.e. ores,
is intended here. This also locates the time that had "come" in 1906. In the colonial literature the three foundations are sometimes
called "les trois grandes de 1906" (see Sauvy 1961:218). The Vocabulaire names them below in paragraph 17.
21 Hubert Droogmans (1859-1938) began his career in the Finance department of the Congo Free State. He then served briefly in the

Ministry of Colonies. In 1900, when the CSK was founded he became its first president and remained in office until 1928. See BCB
IV:242-47.
22 The "big society" is the Société Générale, a finance and holding trust, which is here correctly identified as the major backer of the
colonial enterprise. From the perspective of the Vocabulaire it makes sense to stress its role in steering engineering and labor
management know-how to the Congo, although it was above all concerned with raising capital and determining investment policies.
23 Although the tone of the passage on Jules Cornet (paragraph 6 above) makes it likely that it expresses recollections by

contemporaries, it is only now, with the figure of Jean Jadot (1862-1932), that the author appeals directly to the memory of "many
oldtimers." This, however, requires a chronological leap from 1906 when Jadot, together with H. Droogmans, became one of the chief
architects of the "three big societies," to 1928 when, as governor of the Société Générale and President of UMHK, BCK and
Forminière, he played host to King Albert's visit in Katanga. Then another leap, backwards this time, is taken when, obviously from a
written source, the Vocabulaire adds a piece of Jadot's earlier biography. In the mid-90s, Léopold II, searching for opportunities to
invest profits he had made from his Congo Free State, had found interesting prospects in the development of railways in China. In
1897 the "Société d'Etudes de Chemins de fer en Chine" was set up in Brussels by the Société Générale and a French group
(incidentally, the deal with the Chinese Emperor was negotiated in part by the same Francqui we encountered earlier as one of the
explorers of Katanga). Jean Jadot directed the project of a railway link between Peking and Hankow. It was more than 1200 km long
and the bridge spanning the Yellow River at a length of 3200 m was the longest at the time.- In 1931, the government named the
mining center of Panda-Likasi "Jadotville" in his honor. On the role of Jadot as a "builder of Katanga" see R.-J. Cornet 1950a, not a
canonical source but the kind of laudatory colonial account which may have been among the sources of the Vocabulaire. See also
BCB V: 472-76.
24 This is another instance of the "solemn" use of Swahili numerals mentioned above in note 2. Appropriately, it marks a crucial date:

the arrival of the railroad which led to the incorporation of Elisabethville as a town.
25 It is not clear what SFK refers to. Perhaps it should have been CFK, Le chemin de fer du Katanga. BTK is the usual abbreviation for

the Bourse de Travail du Katanga but what is the connection? See also note to paragraph 20 below.
26
Notice the intrusion of a Swahili morpheme (connective na) in this French designation.
27 Here the author shakes, as it were, a cocktail of acronyms, mainly, I suspect, for the sound effect. BTK, the Bourse du Travail du

Katanga, was a regulatory labor agency. Incidentally the triplet SFK, BTK and BCK occurred earlier in paragraph 17 (one more reason
to think of it primarily as a sound pattern). TRBK, also known as Trabeka (Société d'entreprise de travaux de béton du Katanga)
produced building material in Lubudi and Elisabethville; CMKT, also Cimenkat (Ciments du Katanga), ran a cement factory in Lubudi.
FRMN is the Fominière mentioned earlier; Tshikapa was the principal of its diamond mining sites in Kasai province.
28 In the beginning of mining operations in Katanga, the term referred to labor recruiters. Among these were small private companies

and many individual man-hunters but the business was dominated by Robert Williams and Co. and by the Bourse du Travail du
Katanga (BTK). The term is derived from the verb -changa, "(1) collect together, for any special purpose; (2) put together, mix, shuffle
(as of cards)" (Standard Dictionary). In later times, the meaning of bwana changachanga became restricted to the second meaning
as a term designating the chef de camp, labor manager, in workers' settlements. His function was no longer so much recruiting as
"shuffling" people from many ethnic groups and keeping order among them. Incidentally, the official commemorative account of the
the history of the UMHK states that the term "Tchanga-Tchanga" only dates from about 1926 when the company organized its own
labor recruitment (Union Minière du Haut Katanga 1906-1956. Vol. I. 1956a: 163). By that time the policy of "stabilization" was being
formulated as a possibly more humane but certainly more economical means of labor procurement.-On the history of labor recruitment
and especially the role of BTK and Robert Williams see Perrings (1979).
29 See note to paragraph 1 on the merging of east and south in designating "upper Katanga."
30 For "Portuguese" the Vocabulaire has the ECS term -reno, which I never heard in Shaba. It is derived from Portuguese Reino, so

its literal meanings "the King's men."

31 "Outhouse" actually is a euphemism. The Vocabulaire has tumisalani, plural of musalani, 'latrine or toilet', with the plural

diminutive prefix tu-; hence: tule tumisalani = 'those tiny latrines'. - The issue of housing provides one of the most striking examples
for the difference of perspective between colonial accounts and the Vocabulaire. Compare, for instance, paragraphs 28 and 29 below
with the following statement about "Relations with the Natives" in a semi-official publication:

L'habitation du personnel noir et des soldats est très soignée...Chaque ménage occupe une maison séparée, disposée
symmétriquement de manière à former avec les autres maisons indigènes une avenue qui est plantée d'arbres (Comité Spécial du
Katanga 1950: 43, citing a report by L. Tonneau from 1904!).

Symmetry, decorative trees, and other external signs of planning and "hygiène" expressed a system of values which had no regard for
the rigid rules of etiquette in an African family.
32 On the Malawians as the first African elite in Elisabethville see Fetter (1976:38ff). Many of the recruits from Nyassaland were

mission-educated and spoke English, which was the dominant European language in Elisabethville prior to World War I. The
Vocabulaire recognizes the role of the Malawians below in paragraph 24.
33 "Copper capital city" is the translation of muji mukubwa wa shaba, which is the Vocabulaire's translation of "la capitale du cuivre,"

the Belgian sobriquet for Elisabethville.

34 Sedec was a department store on Avenue de l'Etoile (now Avenue Mobutu).
35 A proverbial expression often used by, and identified with, Tshimwanga. It was addressed to an accused or plaintiff who ran out of

answers and had received the judge's decision. When he then appealed to the African clerk he would be told that his case had "dried
up" -- he had lost, there was nothing else to be done (information from Kalundi Mango, from now on "K. M.").
36 His name was César Lubati (K.M.) which the Vocabulaire interprets phonetically as 'Robath' and corrects orthographically as

"Robert."
37 Antoine Mwenda was one of the most prominent among the first "évolués" of Elisabethville. He received his education at the

seminary of the Salesians. Eventually he became paramount chief of the Bayeke (and a successor of Msiri). He also is the author of a
history of his people (in French with texts in Yeke and Sanga) published a few years after the Vocabulaire. See Munongo (1967).
38 On Mustafa see below note to XXXI.
39 Here the list seems to change categories, from the first African clerks to the first independent traders. "Bwana Pascal" could be
Pascal Makosa who probably started as a trader but was well known as the owner of a coffee- and tea-house in Albert (now
Kamalondo) township (K. M.). He died in the forties. He is mentioned again below in XXXII.
40 Sogelec was the abbreviation for "Société Générale Africaine d'électricité," a subsidiary of the UMHK.
41 Although the period of the "Termite Hills" that follows this statement would point to the string of years in the preceding paragraph,

the "then" refers to World War I, a difficult period in Katanga, not only because of the war but also because of labor recruitment
problems. Tension mounted between White supervising personnel and African workers against a background of conflict between
Robert Williams, the Union Minière and Belgian authorities. See Fetter (1976:Chapter 4), Perrings (1979: 33-44), and Fabian (1986:
63ff, 100-6) on resulting language policies designed to ward off English and "Kitchen-Kaffir" (Fanagalo, Kikabanga) with the help of
French and Swahili.
42 The translation takes "Termite Hills" to be the name of the earliest white settlement in Lubumbashi. The expression is not to be

taken literally (although some of the termite hills in Shaba are big enough to contain the equivalent of a small house). The area may
have been distinguished by impressive termite hills, but the most probable explanation is that the phrase is a metonymic expression.
Fetter describes the settlement near the Lubumbashi smelter around 1910 as follows:
Consisting of a few earthworks and ditches, the smelter site looked more like an African village than a mining camp. Europeans and
Africans alike lived in huts built on the African model out of sticks and mud with thatched roofs made from long savanna grass. Soil
from the huge local termite hills made fine bricks, but with the virtual absence of sand no concrete could be mixed to hold them
together. Without the materials necessary for construction of more permanent buildings the nearby town of Elisabethville was subject
to the same constraints (1976: 28f).
The Vocabulaire, therefore, appropriately stresses the importation of bricks from Rhodesia and South Africa as a decisive phase in
the construction of the town (see VI below).
43 Here the Vocabulaire does not quite correspond with the semi-official chronicle of Elisabethville which speaks of a "triangle:

Kafubu, Etoile, Lubumbashi" just prior to 1910 (the first one being a CSK post and the seat of the administration before it moved in
1909, the second the first major mining site, and the third the location eventually chosen for the smelter). See Elisabethville 1911-
1961 (1961:28) and the following pages for sketches of each of the three places around 1910; also pp. 42ff on the controversy
Kambove-Lubumbashi as location for the capital.- Tshilombo is the first stop on the railroad branching off from Tenke into the direction
of Bukama. It is not clear why it should have been "notorious" in 1910. Perhaps it should be taken together with the place names
starting with #5 as an introduction to the story of Kienda-Biela. In other words, the Vocabulaire shifts geography as it opposes to the
story of urbanization in Katanga the story of resistance to European expansion.
44 This appears to be a contraction of "Droogmans" (the head of CSK, see above) and the office of the veterinary services, popularly

called kwa lipula or diplan (see below note 75 to IX, 1).

45 Colonial accounts speak of rural resistance but usually dismiss it as the action of left-over troops from the Arab campaign or as
isolated banditry (e.g. Comité Spécial du Katanga 1950:42f). Kienda-Biela's story seems to fit the pattern. In a version which I heard in
1986 in Lubumbashi the guerilla warfare aspect was stressed even more. So far, no documentary evidence was found nor has it been
possible to identify Kienda-Biela beyond the fact that he was a Sanga chief residing near Jadotville.
46 The original has ni (thus: KAMATANDA IS SOFUMONGO). I take this to be an error; it should be na as in the last line of this

chapter. The problem is that ni also occurs in the sommaire.

47 According to the list in XII, 1 this should be a certain Carion but it is unlikely that COWE was derived from Carion. Possibly it is a

transcription of an English name such as Cowell. Neither COWE nor Maundras have been identified so far.
48 In ECS ukurasa means page or sheet. K. M. insisted that it be translated as "chapter," possibly because, in Sh/KS, sheet (of paper)

is always rendered as kartasi. Actually, there is no reference to Termite Hills either on page 3 or in Chapter III. Therefore, placing
"first chapter" after "third chapter" may be a repair rather than a confusion in signification or sequence.
49 Now called Avenue Sendwe, after Jason Sendwe, a Luba politician, see below XLVII.
50 Emile Wangermée (1855-1924) had had a long career as troubleshooter in various regions and political-military missions during the

times of the Congo Free State when, after 1906, his activities became concentrated on Katanga. As Vice Gouverneur Général he first
took up residence in Kafubu (1909). In 1910 the Belgian Colony took over from the CSK which until then had acted as the factual
government in its concessions. Wangermée became the first Governor of Katanga Province and, above all, the planner and architect
of Elisabethville. An untiring traveller (by bicycle in the early days) he was in close contact with the population, a fact which the
Vocabulaire reflects when it shows him acting and interferring in the growth of the town. He was an ardent advocate of (relative)
independence for Katanga (an issue which at the time was discussed as "décentralisation"). When he saw his efforts in that direction
frustrated he resigned and retired to Belgium in 1917. In 1919 he briefly returned to Elisabethville with a mission of the UMHK. See
BCB I:951-6 and Elisabethville 1911-1961 (passim).
51 This is another of many chronological asides.

Boniface Mwepu, of the Sanga-Yeke group (with Godefroid Munongo and others) was mayor of Elisabethville/Lubumbashi and later a
member of Government during the Katanga secession. The street name was not changed after the secession ended.
52 Inconspicuous as it may seem, here the Vocabulaire gives us a most important clue to authorship and narration. It is the only

instance where the first person singular (a pronoun in translation, a pronominal prefix in the original) is used in direct speech.
53 Here the Vocabulaire uses the name of a location that preceded the town of Elisabethville. The latter became again Lubumbashi in

1970. On the urban geography of Elisabethville during the period covered by the Vocabulaire see Chapelier 1957 and Mukendi Wa
Nsanga 1969.
54 On this passage see the note to I, 27 above.
55 In French the phrase "hôtel de ville" means town hall; here it obviously refers to "hotels in the town of Elisabethville."
56 The building is now occupied by a department store called Soco (Hazan et Frères) (K.M.). Avenue Winston Churchill was first called
Avenue du Camp [Militaire], now it is Avenue du 30. Juin [Independence Day].
57 It is still a hotel, now called "Wagenia" (K. M.).
58 The Macris family still runs the establishment which also has a popular restaurant.
59 It still exists under the same name; a meeting place for Greek expatriates (K. M.).
60 The "Cercle Albert [et Elisabeth]" was one of the most important institutions during colonial times, see Fetter 1976: 31f on its history

and function in the local power elite. Today it is called Cercle Makutano [meeting (place) in Swahili] and continues to function as a
club for the local African bourgeoisie.
61 On Avenue Léopold II, now Mama Yemo. It is called Hôtel du Shaba and managed by a Belgian expatriate (K. M.).
62 This is one of the oldest colonial buildings. In the seventies it was a popular restaurant known as "Chez Basile" (after its Greek

owner). It is now reconverted to a hotel and again called Bellevue (on the corner of Avenues Kasai and Mwepu Boniface).
63 Continues to function as a hotel under the same name.
64 M. "Wekat" was a Belgian named Wyckart. His African nickname chamuchamu, is related to Sh/KS -chamuka (ECS -chemka), to

boil, hence "the boiling one," an ill-tempered person. He is also remembered as an avid horseman (K. M.).
65 Once a popular meeting place near the major movie theater "Ciné Palace" (now Ciné Eden). The owner used to be a Belgian by the

name of Burrus (K.M.).

66 The list of hotels is surprisingly complete and exact. Yet these establishments were absolutely off limits for Africans in the time of

colonial "beginnings" on which the Vocabulaire reports (in an aside K. M. insisted that a black person could not get in "even if he had
a lot of money and was wearing six pairs of eyeglasses"). Things changed when the associations of évolués came up in the late
forties. Still, it is safe to assume that the hotels are listed here mainly as employers of "boys."
67 A gymnasium on Avenue Sankuru (today Sendwe) near Avenue Tabora.
68
The "Collège St. François de Sales" [a secondary boys' school for Whites] was opposite of the CSK building on Avenues
Wangermée (now Mama Yemo) and Kambove. From there the Salesians ran the first radio and later also a television station. Both
were taken over by the Zairean government but moved only recently to other quarters on Avenues Sandoa and Lubilash. The collège
is now called "Institut Imara" [Swahili for strength, stability].' The provincial headquarters of the Salesians have also been in this
complex. Kafubu, one of the earliest foundations (with a seminary and trade school) remains a major mission post south of
Lubumbashi.
69 Those three prominent Benedictine missionaries were Idesbald De Decker, Grégoire Coussement, and Anschaire (not 'Oscar')

Lamoral. More about them below.

70 Actually, the event which is about to be reported on happened in the early twenties (see below) while the beginnings of the

Benedictine mission in Elisabethville were in 1912. "That is when..." does not locate the event chronologically; it relates it to an epoch
symbolized by the first Benedictine missionaries. The Vocabulaire uses this association between the beginnings of the mission and
the hanging of an African to make a statement about the former.
71 Jean-Félix de Hemptinne, a Benedictine from St. André Abbey near Bruges came to Katanga in 1910 and was named Apostolic
Prefect of the region in the same year. When a regular church administration was set up he became the first bishop of the diocese in
1932. He died in 1958. In the almost fifty years during which he held the highest ecclesiastic office he became a towering figure, an
advocate and ideologue of colonization and an idol among the majority of the white population which identified with the "right:" the
catholic church, the UMHK and the Société Générale. Among the emerging black elite he was controversial, to say the least,
especially when in his last years he openly expressed racist views (which led to incidents that were officially ascribed to his senility).
His role in the growth and politics of Elisabethville is praised in Elisabethville 1911-1961 and critically described in some detail in
Fetter (1976).
72 Independent documentary confirmation of either De Decker's role in the hanging of Bwana François or of any repercussions for his

later career is at this moment not available. Be this as it may, it should be registered as remarkable that the Vocabulaire shows a high
degree of awareness of connections in colonial politics that would not seem obvious from the perspective of the colonized.
73 The original recounts the story of Bwana François in a very elliptic and somewhat confused manner. Especially many of the

pronominal references remain unclear. In translating these passages some of them were supplemented in brackets. Still the gist of it
seems clear enough: François, a man originally from Kasai province, had a wife named Henriette. She was the lover of a white man.
One day, François either learned somehow of the relationship or (which is the possibility we opt for in our translation) thought he had
caught his wife in flagrante. He took the adulterer's friend (who was keeping a watch outside the house) for his wife's lover and
stabbed him to death. The narrator then quotes a proverb implying that (a) the action as such was justified (there was a right person
to be killed) and (b) that there was a case of mistaken identity (the wrong person was killed). The real culprit went unharmed while the
dishonored husband was hanged.- As B. Jewsiewicki has pointed out, the story continues to linger in popular imagination as
witnessed by its becoming a theme in popular painting (see 1986:200). K.M., incidentally, could not recall having heard the story in
any detail except for a rumor that once a black man was hanged in the market of the Whites.- The case of Bwana François is
documented in the court archives of Elisabethville (communication from B.Jewsiewicki who saw the file); other documents provided by
J.-L. Vellut show that the hanging, was a public spectacle attended by a crowd estimated at 4000 people, among them apparently
most of the white residents of the town, including some children. This caused concern in the Ministry of Colonies and a public uproar
in the Belgian press. These documents, however, do by no means remove the confusions and ambiguity from the account in the
Vocabulaire. In press reports, the victim is identified as a certain M. Censier, a settler (colon), said to have been totally innocent.
That agrees with the proverb quoted in the Vocabulaire. A problem is the identity of Bwana François. The name under which he
appears in colonial accounts is "Mus(s)afiri," a Swahili name ("the traveller") which would point to a person from the northeast, not a
Kasaian. A point of blatant disagreement is the location of the event. Belgian reports say it happened in front of the Cathedral, the
Vocabulaire locates it at the crossing of Avenues D'Hemptinne (formerly Sankuru) and Limite du Sud, three blocks south and three
blocks east of the Cathedral.- Notice that the Vocabulaire returns to the story of Bwana François below in IX, 5. There the location of
the White's house is given. Certain houses in that neighborhood were reserved to employees of the BCK and that would accord with
the statement that he worked for the railway company.
Note 2001: A few years after the Vocabulaire appeared in History from Below J.-L. Vellut published a richly documented paper on the
execution of Bwana François (1992); in the same volume (edited by B. Jewsiewicki 1992) there is is also recollection of the even by a
former house boy (translated from Bemba; see Cola Musa 1992).
74 Simon Kimbangu is one of the best known or, at any rate, most written-about independent religious leaders in Africa. Literature

(Andersson, Asch, Chomé, Raymaekers, Janzen and MacGaffey, Martin) is easily accessible. It is true, though, that little is known
about the almost thirty years of imprisonment far away from his home country in Elisabethville/Lubumbashi (a study by Feci 1972 and
a collection of documents by Raymaekers and Desroche 1983 do little to remedy that situation). The Vocabulaire, in a way, closes
the gap with a mixture of fact, anecdote and popular imagination; it documents the formation of a legend in which the fantastic and the
miraculous have a prominent place although these elements are reported in a political perspective, i. e. as a confrontation between
powers.
75 The location is on the northeastern corner of town near the crossing of Boulevard Kamanyola (Boulevard Elisabeth, then O.U.A.)

and Avenue de la Révolution (then Avenue du Golf). "Leplae" seems to have been the name for the services of the department of
agriculture. On Edmond Leplae (1868-1941) an agronomist at the Ministry of Colonies and his role as an organizer of agriculture in
the colony see BCB IV:515-8. Apparently on, or near, the grounds of the department of agriculture there were also the first museum
organized by a certain Dr. Cabu as well as the first sports grounds. K. M. remembers the latter also being called lipula (=Leplae).
Cabu is mentioned in Elisabethville 1911-1961 (1961:197f).
76 1922 also was the year when Simon Kimbangu arrived in Elisabethville. The connection implied by the Vocabulaire clearly is that

both figures were symbols of resistance to repression.

77 This seems to have been the Circus Frères De Jonghe. Undoubtedly the visit left a record in the local press which would have to be

searched. In the meantime, if the date of the visit reported in the Vocabulaire is correct, it is interesting to note that the Circus De
Jonghe toured the Congo again twenty- five years later, in 1953. Once again it was perceived by the Congolese masses as a "magic"
event (which, in the Vocabulaire, is the logic behind placing this section after the Kimbangu story). This occasioned an editorial note
in La voix du Congolais (9/1953): 550f) expressing concern that the tricks and stunts were being taken as proof of magic. The
évolué readers of the paper were told that calling something magic is a way of dealing with surprising phenomena common to many
cultures. The feats of the Frères de Jonghe are explained by a lot of training. - That the Cirque De Jonghe had begun annual tours of
the Congo in 1952 is mentioned in a brochure prepared by A. Gascht 1958 for the 1958 Brussels World Fair. There the context is the
promotion of "spectacles" as part of Belgian cultural policy toward the end of the colonial period.
78 Compare the following to a list of governors as given in the volume commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Elisabethville:

Chefs de la Province du Katanga

Emile Wangermée 10/1910 - 5/1914
V.G. Général
Justin Malefyt 11/1911 - 11/1912
V.G. Général ad interim
Charles Tombeur 6/1914 - 2/1915
Inspecteur d'Etat V.G. G. ad int.
Adolphe de Meulemester 2/1915 - 2/1917
Inspecteur d'Etat
Baron Ferdinand de Renette de Villers-Perwin 2/1917 - 6/1918
Commissaire général, V. G. G. ad int.
Charles Tombeur 6/1918 - 7/1920
V. G. G.
Léopold De Koninck 7/1920 - 10/1921
Comm. Gén., V. G. G. ad int.
Martin Rutten 10/1921 - 12/1922
V. G. G.
Gaston Heenen 12/1922 - 2/1924
Comm. Gén., V. G. G. ad int.
Léon Bureau 2/1924 - 9/1925
V. G. G.
Gaston Heenen 9/1925 - 6/1926
Comm. Gén., V. G. G. ad int.
Léon Bureau 6/1926 - 5/1928
V. G. G.
Gaston Heenen 5/1928 - 10/1933
Suppression du vicegouvernement général
Amour Maron 10/1933 - 12/1945
Inspect. d'Etat
 Commissaire de Province (1933-41)
Gouverneur de Province (1941-45)
Léon Keyser 10/1945 - 3/1948
Gouverneur
Joseph Ziegler de Ziegleck auf Rheingrub 3/1948 - 4/1951
Gouverneur
René Whauthion 5/1951 - 8/1955
Gouverneur
Jean Paelinck 1/1956 - 9/1958
Gouverneur
André Schöller 9/1958 -30/6/1960
(From Elisabethville 1911-1961 1961:255-7)

The Vocabulaire's list begins with a "Dipeji" which, decoded phonetically, would be Lippens, i.e. Maurice Lippens, Governor General
of the Congo, residing at Boma. In the Vocabulaire the confusing period of the Vice Government General is only covered partially and
there is some disagreement as to the succession. The Governors' list after 1933 is complete and in the right sequence. Two names
are added, Dufour and Dupont; they were Vice Governors under Maron and Keyser. On Dupont see Fetter (1976:152f). For some
reason Maron appears in the Vocabulaire consistently as Alphonse (see below).
79 So far it has been impossible to check this list. Some of the names are spelled correctly, others could be decoded with the help of

K. M. The Annuaire Officiel, which seems to have been published first in 1903, 1910, 1911 and 1912 and then again after World War
I, has a certain Masson as agent de police (in 1910) and this makes it uncertain whether all or some of the commissaires were
police commissioners or district commisssioners. At any rate, starting with Carion, we seem to be in the thirties; so there must be a
gap if we assume that the move of headquarters from Kalukuluku occurred in 1910 or shortly thereafter.
80 On the southeast corner of Avenues Sankuru (now Sendwe) and Moëro.
81
Here, in what may at first appear a non sequitur, the Vocabulaire connects two essential instruments of colonization: policing and
urbanization. Originally the Katanga Police Corps was a military organization, in fact a branch of the Force Publique. As long as the
CSK exercised sovereign powers (until 1910) these police troops had two major functions: "pacification," i.e. removing the last pockets
of military resistance, and controlling the growing numbers of "foreigners" in the labor force (see Comité Spécial du Katanga 1900-
1950 1950: 41f). When international conventions brought recognition of the colony's eastern borders in 1910, the troops deployed
there were called to Elisabethville in response to rumors that the British/ South Africans may plan to invade Katanga (see Fetter
1976:44). Given the total numbers, police and military made up a high proportion of the population of Lubumbashi. See on this a
report by the commanding officer of the move in 1910, the later General F. V. Olsen (Olsen 1950). - One of the difficulties with these
passages of the Vocabulaire is that they deal with a complex institutional set-up. There is, on the one hand, the military and police,
easily confused due to their common function of establishing and maintaining military control, and on the other, the forces of order,
also called police, which would be the ones that were in direct and lasting contact with the African population of Elisabethville.
82 Although Wangermée gave the orders at the time, the move of troops is probably the one described by Olsen (see note to

preceding paragraph).
83 On Father "Dédec", Dom Idesbald De Decker, see above. Father "Grégoire" was Fr. Grégoire Coussement, one of the most

prominent missionary leaders who was above all involved in setting up various organizations (the scouts and other youth clubs,
various "native" associations, etc.), see Fetter (1976): Index under Coussement. Father "Oscal" was Fr. Anschaire Lamoral, known as
a promotor of church choirs and band music.
84 Ngoie Léon is still alive. In July 1986 I was able to meet him and record a long conversation about his reminiscences (he insisted on

speaking French).
85 Louis Sartenaer, son-in-law of Jean Sépulchre who was the founder and publisher of L'Essor du Congo, the largest newspaper in

Elisabethville. Both were influential opinion makers and supporters of de Hemptinne. Imbelco (Imprimerie Belgo-Congolaise) was the
most important printing and publishing house in town. On Sépulchre see Elisabethville 1911-1961 (1961:140) and Fetter (1976:139).
86 On the press in Elisabethville see Elisabethville 1911-1961 (1961:96, 137f, 140, 229f).
87 Strictly speaking, "Parquet" is the public prosecutor's or attorney-general's office. The Vocabulaire makes a striking statement

regarding the perception of colonial justice and judicial institutions by using the term to cover the prosecutor's office as well as the
court(s), and the bar. The list that follows only has persons from the second and last categories, i.e. no public prosecutor, unless
"Soqaine" should be read as '[Antoine] Sohier' who was attorney general and later Chief Justice of the Katanga Appeal Court. Sohier
was, like Sépulchre, one of the most influential public figures in Elisabethville politics and a staunch ally of de Hemptinne (on A. Sohier
see Fetter 1976: Index under Sohier). The official listing looked as follows:

Présidents de la Cour d'Appel Appointed

Baron Giacomo Nisco 8/1911
Louis Malherbe 3/1918
Robert de Meulemeester 2/1920
Joseph Derriks 7/1924
Félix Sooghen 10/1935
Félix De Launoy 4/1940
 Charles Leynen 10/1940
Paul Hannoir 8/1949
Jean de Merten 9/1958
Emile de Raeve 2/1961

Procureurs Généraux
Martin Rutten 11/1910
Fernand M. Dellicour 2/1920
Antoine Sohier 5/1925
Félix de Launoy 12/1934
Victor Devaux 4/1940
Léon Bours 6/1946
Désiré Merckaert 5/1949
Georges Brouxhon 10/1957
Louis Janssens 8/1959
(See Elisabethville 1911-1961 1961: 257, but notice that Sohier is not listed as President of the Court of
Appeal).

88 Here are some bits and pieces of anecdotal information provided by K.M. -- as an example of the kind of folklore which grew around
these important persons:
Sooghen: He was a bachelor and used to work at home. Usually he arrived in his office at five to twelve, signed papers, and left at
noon sharp to have a drink at the Hôtel du Globe (always from his own glass "to avoid poisoning").
Fortemaison: He was a judge (but not "président"). His wife had a longstanding affair with M. Declercks. "Gaissé" may have been M.
De Castelbergh, a partner of Antoine Rubbens who was known to be a friend of the Africans and later became a supporter of the
Conakat party (see below XLVII).- Antoine Rubbens was, apart from, and often in opposition to, A. Sohier, an important political figure
(see e.g. Young 1965: Index under Rubbens). He also was the translator (and editor/promotor) of P. Tempels' Philosophie Bantoue
(1945).
89 See note to VIII, 2.
90
A belief widely held in Elisabethville/Lubumbashi. It could be based on a remarkable resemblance between Léopold II and de
Hemptinne. But there remains a rumor that there was more to it than the fact that both of them sported a striking patriarch's beard.
Another possible interpretation -- that de Hemptinne was seen as a sort of (re)incarnation of the King -- is less likely in view of the
positive image of Léopold II whom the Vocabulaire associates with the "good old times" before "bad" colonialism appeared with his
successor Albert (in 1909, a year before the Benedictines came to Katanga), see above I, 27.
91 John McKendree Springer, an American Methodist missionary who came to Katanga in 1913. Today, members of the Methodist

Church are still referred to as baspilinga. Springer published several accounts of his experiences in Katanga, among them
Pioneering in the Congo (1916).
92 One may ponder the rationale behind the sequence on this list. Ernest Toussaint was head of the native labor department (MOI) of

the UMHK since 1926 and was one of the architects (together with L. Mottoulle) of the famed policy of "stabilisation" (changing from
short term contracts to long term settlement of workers with their nuclear families). So, while he was not first (certainly not in the
function of Directeur Général) he was foremost, as far as the African population was concerned.- Enough was said about J. Jadot
above; the same goes for Droogmans. Compared to the latter, Godefroid was a minor figure, and the others have not jet been
identified. It also seems odd that Trabeka is listed twice among the big societies. Perhaps this was because it was considered
important by Africans as a major construction firm for "native" housing projects.
93 Between Avenues Royale (now Mwepu Boniface) and Sankuru (now Sendwe).
94 On Avenues de l'Etoile (now Mobutu) and Lomami.
95 The "doctor's house" was a surgery on Avenue Sendwe, near the Hôpital Prince Léopold (now Sendwe); the office of the traffic

police is still at its old location on Avenue Sendwe, opposite the hospital. "Premier-Conduit" is a creative transcription of "permis de
conduire." - Notice that the heading of this chapter (in capital letters) really is but one of three separate points of information.
96 Sogefor, "Société Générale de forces hydro-électriques du Katanga," an UMHK subsidiary in charge of the construction and

maintenance of hydro-electric installations.

97 The original has bauza which could be Sh/KS for "sellers" (ECS wauzaji). I opt with K. M. for "Haussa" which has been a general

designation for traders from West Africa many of whom were in the souvenir and African art business. A mosque in Kamalondo
township testifies to the importance of this group that (probably with fluctuations during the years) contained people from Mali,
Senegal, Nigeria and other West African colonies/countries. - The scene described here could still be seen in the seventies.
98 All of them near the main intersection opposite the post office.
99 Moké, a Lingala term for "little," often used as (impolite) term of address.
100 A honorific name in Tshiluba, something like "great chief."
101 Mama na kimètre, the lady with the meter (measure).
102 Correct names and explanation were provided by K. M. who was able to identify all the persons on the list.- It is interesting to note

that, with three or four exceptions, there is no overlap between the lists given by the Vocabulaire and a list of pioneer businesses
provided by the chronicle of Elisabethville (see Elisabethville 1911-1961 1961:75). There are probably two reasons for this. One is
chronological; although the Vocabulaire states that certain traders were "first" (and this is true, for instance, of Glasstone and Co.) its
oral tradition situates many beginnings in the late twenties/early thirties. Second, the lists express different perspectives. The
Vocabulaire naturally pays more attention to Jewish, Greek and African petty traders who were in direct contact with the African
population.
103 This was the Compagnie d'Elevage et d'Alimentation du Katanga. Its outlet in the center of town (on the corner of Avenues Royale

and Kasai) was a daily meeting place for Elisabethville housewives (and their servants).
104 This is the Intertropical-Comfina which goes back to Commerce Intertropical, a firm set up in 1907 by the CSK and a Belgian group

for the importation of merchandise needed by the employees of the former (see Comité Spécial du Katanga 1950: 63).
105 The Simba brewery was constructed in 1925 and the first Simba beer was tapped in January 1926, see Elisabethville 1911-1961

(1961:128).
106 K. M., who used to be a football player, gives a much more complex history of the major football clubs in Lubumbashi:

1. Prince Léopold (with their field at St. Jean Mission, Fr. Grégoire Coussement). Then there were many other small teams but the 2.
in the order of importance was Vaticano (they shared the stadium with Prince Léopold). 3. Lubumbashi, at team sponsored by UMHK
(their stadium was in the UMHK workers' settlement). 4. St. Paul which developed from a team organized by the boy scouts; later it
was called Englebert (sponsored by the Englebert tire company), today it T. P. (Travaux Publics, or 'tout-puissant') Mazembe (a term
for hoes, steam shovels, caterpillar earthmoving equipment), one of the two major teams in Lubumbashi. 5. St. Eloi (Patron Saint of
the miners) a team organized by BCK railroad workers (with a stadium in the BCK workers' camp); today it is the second big team in
town. After a winning streak it was called Lupopo [from kupolola, to hammer, drive a nail] also a name for "Germans" (who as former
victorious enemies over the colonial power always had a positive image in Katanga).
107 The original has kipalo, the Sh/KS form of icibalo, a term used in Rhodesia (?Bemba) which came to Katanga together with the

practice it signifies: labor recruitment with a strong connotation of forced recruitment and memories of slavery. See on this Perrings
(1979:151ff), and Fabian (1986:177). See also Perrings and Fetter (Indexes) on the conflicts between Robert Williams and the
CSK/UMHK as well as between these large firms and the many free lance recruiters who were out to make quick money without
worrying too much about methods. In view of the latter the Vocabulaire's rather positive assessment of the smaller recruiters (see
below) is somewhat surprising.
108 The two dates do not correspond and it is unclear what event or period they are supposed to mark. Perhaps the reference is

generally to an increase in missionary activities, something which could be linked to the UMHK policy of labor stabilization. As part of
the latter, the (catholic) missions were called upon to take over essential social services in the miners' camps, including the school
system. As an incentive the CSK provided land concessions free of charge (see Comité Spécial du Katanga 1950:211f).
109 There is some confusion as to the location. The two teachers were employed at the Benedictines' boys' school, Ecole St. Boniface

(Sacre Coeur was the girls' school). K. M., who attended St. Boniface between 1925 and 1937, remembers "Jules" (a Lamba) and
Benoît Kayokolo (a Bemba). Both taught reading and writing in Swahili.
110 The date is somewhat puzzling. The Wall Street crash was in October 1929. Although copper prices had begun to drop late in
1929 (Perrings 1979:99) it took another six months or so -- until mid-1930 -- before the impact was felt in Katanga (see Fetter 1976:
Chapter 7 on the crisis in Elisabethville; also Elisabethville 1911-1961 1961:156ff).
111 In the original, unemployment is bulofa, derived from the verb -lofa which in turn comes from English "to loaf."
112 This was Mustapha, a "railroad engineer" (i.e. a locomotive driver) according to Fetter (1976:159), or (perhaps later) a clerk at the

Bon Marché department store according to the Vocabulaire see above I, 25. He came from French Congo and married a local
woman (a distant relative of K. M.).
113 The history of African associations in Elisabethville is as complicated as it is important (generally, see Fetter 1974). The

Vocabulaire's account, addressed as it is to those who were part of that story, is once again elliptic but to the point as far as
essentials are concerned. I have not been able to verify the presidency of a Lunda in the first association (known also as the Belges).
Other sources indicate that it was set up by immigrants from the Kasai (see the police report quoted by Higginson 1988: 97) .- Even
though these clubs and associations are referred to as tribal their origin and purpose was not tribalist. They were essentially self-help
organizations expressing the settling-in of an African urban population with its own social life and emerging popular culture. Going
back to the twenties (at least) they stood the test of hard times during the economic crisis. By the early thirties they had become
vehicles of a growing cultural and political self-consciousness. As such they became a problem for a colonial establishment which
grew more and more autocratic (especially under the regime of Governor Maron).- As described by Fetter (1976:158f), the "malinga
dances" mentioned in the two preceding chapters (XXX and XXXI) became a pretext for intervention and control. Malinga (in terms of
popular categories opposed to "rhumba," the emerging distinctive Congolese music inspired by Latin and Afro-American models, see
Kazadi 1973, Bemba 1984 and Low 1982) was European-style ball room dancing. It was in fact an "assimilationist" practice -- as was
the importance of dressing up and speaking French, especially in the "Franco-Belge" -- and it is ironical, but not at all untypical for the
duplicity which characterized so much of Belgian colonial policy, that one of its most vociferous detractors was de Hemptinne, a
leading "assimilationist" among colonial ideologues.
114 Not to be confused with Kibwe Jean-Baptiste, a Conakat politician, member of the Katanga Government and a director of the

nationalized mining company (Gécamines). Kibwe Léonard was well known as a soccer referee. He resided in Kamalondo township.
Later he added a bar to his fish business (K. M.).
115 This was the name of the oldest of the native townships before it became Commune Albert (today Zone Kamalondo). The houses

of the clerks also were called something like ginie (from génie [civil]); they were provided by a government agency.
116 Actually this was pronounced witika, possibly from "huit camp," the "eight-houses settlement" (referring to the first lot completed),

constructed by Cofoka for the employees of various companies (K. M.).

117 A "Kabinda" (Luba-Songye). Like Kibwe he began in the fish trade, then had a bar and was also in real estate -- a rich man at the

time (K. M.)

118 Julius, a Luba from Kiambi, was a tailor (K. M.).
119 This was another expansion of Commune Albert/ Kamalondo, called bikopo, the cans (or tins), after the material that was used for
roofing. Kisasa could mean 'modern' (literally "something of now").
120 On Bwana Pascal see above note to I, 25.
121 This was Bwana Taimu (a name probably derived from English "time"). He had a drinking place in Kamalondo where he first sold

pombe ya mbote, Pygmy beer, i. e. mead, later Simba beer (K. M.)
122 Ilingio Augustin, a retired army (Force Publique) driver and mechanic (see also below XXXIII). He is remembered as the first

African to ride a motorbike. He married a local woman (Agnes, of Kabinda-Songye origin). His descendants still run the bar (now
called Changamuka) on Avenue Babemba in Kamalondo (K. M.).
123 The nickname Bwana Fimbo, the one with the stick or whip (the infamous fimbo was used for corporal punishment in the army and

colonial prisons), is difficult to explain since he was not in any way associated with the government or otherwise known as a violent
person. Ethnically he is identified as a mugoa, i.e. a "Goa," synonymous with East Indian. He ran a store, mainly selling baked goods
to Africans, on Chaussée de Kasenga near the railroad tracks (K. M.).- An interesting point is the inclusion of Bwana Fimbo both
among the white and the black businessmen (see above XIX.). Popular classification is not sure about Asians (as well as
Mediterraneans). East Indians are often put into a third category; they are neither white nor black and consequently, in terms of the
traditional color triad, red.
124 Tshikasa Thomas, nicknamed Bobo, learned his trade in the school of the Salesians in Kafubu. He went into business and became

a well known tailor in Kamalondo. That he was the "first tailor" must be taken in a manner of speaking, meaning "a tailor of renown"
(actually he was preceded by Mbwa André, and probably there were others) He achieved some notoriety in colonial publications
through a photograph (often reproduced) showing him in front of his store. The shop sign reads

S. B. TSHIKASA THOMAS
TAILLEUR SUR MESURES HOMME & DAMES
EXPERIMENTE - CAPACITE
AVENUE LUNDA BLOC 19 H'10
B.P. 4030 ELISABETHVILLE

(see Revue Congolaise Illustrée 28/2 1956). He used to be a well-known soccer player with the club Léopold. He continues his
business today with a branch in Lusaka/Zambia (K. M.).
125
The events described here have been the subject of much historical inquiry which continues to bring forth new detail (see Perrings
1979:224ff, also for further references: Higginson 1988 and especially Vellut 1987 on the long history of resistance in Zaire). The 1941
general strike, although by no means the only outbreak of labor unrest in the history of Katanga, has assumed a kind of emblematic
status (it became a subject in popular painting). This is reflected in the account given by the Vocabulaire. As in other cases, the latter
draws the picture with a few strokes, emphasising what was important for the Africans who remember the strike. There are some
matters of detail that remain obscure. One is the date. It is roughly correct as far as the beginning of the strike goes, but the fatal day
of the massacer seems to have been November 8th. The other point regards the spokesman/leader of the strikers. The Vocabulaire
insists on calling him as well as Governor Maron "Alphonse." This adds poignancy to the narrative because it hints at bumajina, a
name relationship. The name relationship had developed in urban Katanga into a bond that was often considered stronger than
kinship. Maron's crime was therefore all the more heinous. In eyewitness accounts cited by Perrings, however, the leader whom
Maron shot with a pistol is identified as Mpoy Léon (1979:227). A point to be verified is the end of Maron in a foreign city on the
symbolic date of November 11 (Armistice Day, a major Belgian holiday).
126 I have been unable to pin down the exact dates for the following story. It is certain, though, that it is about the extension rather than

the construction of the chimney. In order to appreciate the length and detail of this chapter it should be noted that the smelter's
chimney and huge slag dump (mumbunda na mampala) has been the landmark of Elisabethville/ Lubumbashi. In the 1960s and 70s
it became one of the most frequent motives in popular painting, not so much as an emblem of industrialization but as a "reminder"
(ukumbusho) of the urban life experience (see Szombati-Fabian and Fabian 1976).
127 A phrase that could be translated as "speak, little boy" (boy=servant, native). Zeki, or zege, comes from Flemish or Afrikaans zeg,

say. Africans observed that it was a typical opener for a conversation (or a request, command) and it became a Sh/KS term
designating the Flemish in general (often reduplicated as zegezege). Interestingly enough, its French counterpart -- dis, say, also a
conversational opener -- was incorporated into Sh/KS as a term for friend or buddy (as in di wangu, my friend, a greeting formula
used in correspondence). This distinction, made with the help of equivalent lexemes, between separation and identification
encapsulates a striking aspect of colonial relations. Flemish speakers, usually the lower-class and lower echelon agents, were
consistently seen as the bad guys.
128
Hyperbole, or simply an error. The chimney was actually 150 m high.
129 This refers to the construction by Sogefor of a dam at Mwadingisha Falls (later Cornet Falls). The hydroelectric power station was

called "Centrale Francqui" (an example for what the Vocabulaire tells us above in I, 5). See also Cornet (1950b:49).
130 A Luba term meaning "grand serpent (peut-être imaginaire)" synonymous with "nzovu a lûi (éléphant de l'eau). Nom donné au

Grand Esprit du lac Bupèmbà [Upemba]" (Van Avermaet and Mbuya 1954:547). See also a brief note by Antoine Munongo (1941: 69)
which contains the interesting remark that Mpumina is associated with "la conquête des pays, l'acqisition des richesses."
131 The date is, of course, approximate; but even if it were to be read as "the thirties" it does not cover the entire period of the Italian-

Ethiopian war which began in 1935 and led to the annexation of Abyssinia in 1936 and ended when the Italians were defeated in 1941
by British, British colonial, and South African troops. The role which the Vocabulaire assigns to the French remains unclear.
132 This is not a usual way of transposing the name into Swahili. Perhaps Baribino becomes more plausible if one assumes that the

model was Flemish Boudewijn.- In 1955 there were probably few who would have linked the King's visit directly to imminent
Independence. After the fact, from the Vocabulaire's perspective, there can be no doubt that this was a crucial event leading up to the
end of colonial rule (see Young 1965: Chapter 3).
133 On Auguste Buisseret, Minister of Colonies in 1955, and his role in colonial politics during the last years before Independence see

Young (1965: Index under Buisseret). Buisseret was a Liberal, who, among other things, took measures to break the missions'
monopoly on education and therefore became the target of vitriolic attacks by de Hemptinne and the colonial Right. It can be taken as
a barb against the latter when the Vocabulaire makes a point of reminding its readers of Buisseret.
134 Here the Vocabulaire takes us back once again to earlier chapters (e.g. XXVI). For the background to this very complicated story

see Perrings (1976).

135 According to Perrings, a ticket was:

The conventional method of calculating the contract lengths and wages of black labour... A ticket consisted of a booklet containing
thirty slips representing thirty working shifts. No wages were paid unless each slip, or ticket, was signed by the ganger in charge, and
a contract measured in months was in practice worked out in tickets (1976: xvii).
The Vocabulaire speaks of the ticket in the latter sense.
136 As noted above (see note to I, 19), the abbreviation BTK was used for "Bourse du Travail du Katanga." Why it should appear in the

present context is not clear.

137 A train stop, officially called Tshilatembo, between Elisabethville/Lubumbashi and Jadotville/Likasi.
138 A variant of kapitula, Sh/KS for shorts. K. M. remembers his father telling of a maladi ya kapitula but thinks it must have been an

epidemic around 1918-1919 (which would be the world-wide Spanish flu, see Perrings 1976:165, 170). Perhaps, originally the
association with 'shorts' may have referred to dysentery which was endemic in the early years after 1910. Scurvy, caused by
nutritional deficiencies in the flour imported as staple food (see below), is also mentioned by Perrings (1976:165).
139
The meaning of the term is not clear. In Sh/KS tukutuku is an onomatopoetic term for motorbikes. One may speculate that it also
covered small motors such as diesel generators. Hence bunga ya tukutuku could be milled as opposed to pounded flour. The term is
documented in several of the reminiscences from oldtimers collected by B. Fetter. One of them (Nawezi Petro, who arrived in 1920)
states:
'Nous gagnions comme salaire, de la farine nommé (sic) "TUKUTUKU", une farine jaune...Cette farine venait de la Rhodésie et était
presque immangeable' (Fetter n.d.)
140 A phrase in Bemba meaning roughly: "where those go who do not return" (K. M.).
141 This was certain Kilengwe, keeper of the morgue (K. M.).
142 The phrase is interjected here to remind readers of what must have been the way that most people were made aware of the prison

system. Prisoners were put to work in chain gangs of six. The men were attached to the common chain by iron collars around their
necks.
143 Before it was moved to the northern outskirts of town (to Kasapa, near the present campus of the university) the prison used to be
on the far side of Avenue Limite Sud, i.e. outside the core town. It was part of a complex which included other institutions of "hygiene"
(the hospital for natives, the insane asylum, and the bacteriological laboratories) and the Methodist Mission. The latter does not seem
to fit our interpretation, but then, to keep the "foreign" Methodists outside the city limits proper, would have been regarded by certain
circles in Elisabethville as a matter of hygiene. It is equally interesting to speculate on the reasons why the market for Europeans
(soko ya wazungu) i. e. the market where Africans were allowed to sell their products to Europeans (and where public executions
were staged, see the hanging of Bwana François and another one mentioned below) was part of the same complex.
144 "Germain" could be read as Servais, but then the latter could not have been the first director. Servais headed the prison in the

1930s. By that time kwa longolongo had already become the name for the prison (K. M.).
145 "Bwana Kasombo" was almost certainly the nickname of Servais; it replaced Longolongo as a name for the prison. Tshamungu

Henri, who served under Servais, was remembered as a severe person who always collaborated with the Whites and never refused to
apply (corporal) punishment (K. M.).
146 This is the best we can do with this extremely difficult passage. The names and pronominal references provided by the

Vocabulaire simply do not allow a clearer reconstruction. Especially the last sentence is confusing. "Taymo's" refers to a drinking
place in nearby Kamalondo township (see above note to XXXII).
147 The official date of Independence is June 30, 1960. The Vocabulaire is correct, however, in locating the crucial step in 1959. On

the governmental declaration of January 13, 1959 see Young (1965:168, on the complicated story of municipal elections l.c. Chapter 4
and Index under elections).
148 In Sh/KS batoka chini has been a collective term for people from downstream of Stanleyville/Kisangani (sometimes synonymous

with (ba)mangala, i. e. Lingala speakers). Since Independence it has taken an increasingly political connotation as a designation for
people from the capital, Kinshasa.
149
On the complicated history of political parties prior to Independence see Young (1965: Chapter 12, especially the summary table
on p. 304). Notice that utetezi literally means "argument, opposition." That it can become a synonym for politics says much about
popular ideas regarding politics. In Sh/KS the expression kufanya politique often means "to cause, or look for, trouble."
150 Like Antoine Munongo, Makonga Bonaventure published a collection of Luba (Sanga) traditions as a "History of the Empire of the

Baluba etc." (see Makonga 1949). Both these Yeke and Luba histories may have been models for Yav André's Lunda history.
151 On the Brussels Round Table conference see Young (1965: Index under Brussels, Round Table conference).

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